Unmasked
by Nautica7mk
Summary: Post Superman Returns. Behind the hero is a man longing to be free.
1. Chapter 1

**Title**: Unmasked

**Author**: Nadia Mack

**Rating**: T

**Disclaimer**: I Own Nothing

**Summary**: Post Superman Returns. Behind the hero is a man longing to be free.

**Author's Notes**: For anyone who has read "Moving On," I'd like to take this opportunity to say thank you all for the wonderful feedback, and I appreciate the constructive criticism as well. Thank you Barbara for beta-reading this and the rest of the chapters.

* * *

Superman cruised his way across the sky, letting himself get lost in the sea of clouds. In these moments, sometimes he believed it was all just a dream, and any second now, he would wake up back in the Metropolis he knew before he left for Krypton.

He wondered what life would've been like if he had never left.

Hovering in solitude above the earth, he reached beneath his collar and removed a necklace that held a 14-carat white gold band inset with three diamonds. This particular ring belonged to his grandmother, an heirloom his mother, Martha, had given him shortly after he had gotten the job at the Daily Planet.

Before astronomers thought they had found Krypton, he had been about to propose to Lois. To his heart's disappointment, life didn't always turn out the way people wanted it to, and even more so for the last son of Krypton.

Now all he had were his memories. Lois was no longer his to pursue, and their son… their son had a father that loved him completely. His own mother had moved on with Ben Hubbard, a neighbor and friend of the family for many years. They were moving to Montana of all places.

Things had definitely changed. Some for the better and others…

It was hard to think about it without wanting to fall apart and break down.

He flew back down, using the night sky to cover his descent toward the town that had raised him. Smallville, Kansas. He needed to speak to his mother, but as soon as he landed, he realized that nobody was there. He entered the house and found plenty of moving boxes: some were filled, others were reaching halfway, and the rest had yet to be built.

So much had changed.

Then he remembered… his mother was in Metropolis. Some time during his unconscious state, he had felt as if she were calling out to him, but he had thought nothing of it until now.

Quickly, he flew back and hoped she was still there.

With his eyes focused on the streets, he found his mother's familiar red pick-up truck parked in the lot of a motel just outside the city. He landed a couple of blocks away, and changed quickly into his civilian clothing before discreetly making his way across the street to find his mother.

Once he reached the motel room, he knocked.

"Mom," he said.

The door flew open and his mother reached out and held him close. "Oh, my boy," she said, her heart beating loudly against her chest as she held him tight. "I was so worried," she whispered to his ear. "I couldn't…"

"I know, Mom," he said. After many days of agony, he allowed himself to get lost in the comfort of his mother's safe and loving arms. "When I was asleep, I heard you."

"I knew you would." She kept her hold on him for a few more seconds before reluctantly loosening her embrace. Martha took a good look at her son. "Your father would be proud of you. _Both_ of them would be."

Clark smiled, the light not quite reaching his eyes. There was so much he wanted to tell her, he just didn't quite know where to begin.

"Are you alone?"

She nodded. "Ben went to the market to get us some food," she replied. "Come in." She led her son inside the small room and sat him down by the single table that helped fill the room of limited furnishings. "How are you feeling?"

"So many things," he admits. Clark inhaled deeply, sorting his thoughts. He wanted to just get right to it, but he himself was so overwhelmed, he couldn't even imagine what his mother would think once he told her everything.

"Take your time."

He smiled; his mother always knew how to make him feel comfortable even in the most uncomfortable of situations.

"I learned something tonight that… let's just say that I didn't expect."

"Does it have to do with Lois Lane?"

"How did you know?" he asked, surprised that his mother guessed right – yet at the same time, he shouldn't have been.

"When Ben and I went to the hospital, I saw her there. She had her son with her." She smiled when she remembered how tightly the boy held onto his mother. It reminded her of Clark when she and Jonathan first took him home. "He's a beautiful little boy."

An unexpected smile graced her son's solemn face.

"Yes, he is."

There was something bubbling beneath the surface of her child's ever present changing emotions, and it concerned her to some degree. "What is it, Clark?"

"It isn't just about Lois," he answered softly. "It's about Jason, too."

"Jason," she repeated, and then a light bulb went off. "Jason is the name of Lois's son?" she questioned carefully, making sure she wasn't treading on personal ground. She knew better than anyone how well her son kept his emotions in check especially around the people he loved.

Clark nodded. "Except he's not just Lois's son…" A beat passed between them before he found the strength to continue. "…he's my son, too."

Martha let out a soft and audible gasp, the revelation startling her. She had always known her son felt deeply for the young woman, but she never knew how far their relationship went… at least not until now.

She reached out and hugged him once more.

"Oh, Clark."

"Are you mad?" he mumbled into her shoulder.

"Not at all," she replied in earnest. She let him go and held his face in her hands. "You're a father."

He nodded quietly, but the sadness in his eyes betrayed the happiness of the truth he just shared with her.

"He doesn't know I am, though…" and with a heavy heart, he added, "And neither does Richard."

Martha looked on, confused. "Richard?"

"Lois's fiancé," he answered, stepping away and moving toward the hotel's window. He opened the blinds and looked out into the night sky, the stars glittering above them. "Richard White has been Jason's father since the day he was born. I can't get in the way of that."

"And how does Lois feel?"

"I don't really know."

"Did she tell you about Jason?"

"Yes."

"Well, that has to mean something."

"She doesn't hate me as much anymore," he said, trying to lighten the mood but it was obvious that he was failing miserably. "I can't expect her to let me intrude into her life after everything that's happened."

"But you and Lois share a son," his mother reminded him.

While the knowledge that she was a grandmother filled her heart with joy, the sadness she felt for her one and only son, and the possibility that he wouldn't be able to share in the same happiness and warmth that she and his father shared when they raised him loomed darkly above their thoughts.

"I'll always be there for them, Mom," he assured her, his eyes continually staring out into the window, while at the same time, he held onto in emotions. He felt the dam was about to break. "Even Richard... but when I left… when I abandoned her, I forfeited any rights I had concerning our son."

"Did she know she was pregnant before you left?"

"We never really talked about it. After all that's happened with Lex Luthor, everything afterwards just happened so fast."

"Maybe it's time that you two finally talk."

Clark looked back at his mother. "I can't do that to her," he said, his mind completely made up.

"She has a right to know who the father of her child really is," she said, her voice so soft and calm. "You can't keep her in the dark, not after this. And if you continue to bottle this up, especially since you work with her, it's only going to hurt you inside."

"How can I tell her now when she has everything?" he pleaded with the stress and whirlwind of emotions finally catching up to him. He turned back around and reached for the ring that dangled beneath his shirt. "I should never have left," he regretted.

"What's done is done," his mother said knowingly. "Not even you can stop the world from turning."

"I just want…"

"Martha, I'm back." Ben Hubbard entered the hotel room unknowingly interrupting a very sensitive and important conversation. He stopped when he saw the familiar face by the window. "Oh, hello there, Clark." He put down the bag of take-out and extended his hand. "It's good to see you, son."

Lifting his face toward the gentleman, he half-genuinely smiled.

"It's good to see you again, Mr. Hubbard."

"We tried getting in touch with you earlier; your mother was really worried about you."

"I'm all right, thank you," Clark assured him. He glanced and smiled briefly at his mother before turning back to Mr. Hubbard. "Well, it's getting pretty late; I'm going to head back and take care of a few things. Will you two be all right?"

"We'll be fine," Martha said, giving her son a reassuring smile. She crossed the room and embraced her son one more time.

"You have to do what you believe is right for yourself," she whispered. "Just know that you can't always wait for people to be ready for you."

"I know," he replied softly.

* * *

Instead of flying back to the Daily Planet, he decided to just walk the rest of the way even though it was several miles. His talk with his mom had helped, but he still worried about what it could mean if he decided to tell her everything.

He had planned to, of course, before he left. He wanted to take that next step. He was anxious to show her that he wasn't just a man who wore a cape and saved people, that he _was_ a man capable of wanting the same things that humans do.

Love.

Home.

Family.

He wanted desperately to show that part of himself he'd kept hidden from the rest of the world. When he got back, he foolishly thought he could pick things up right where they left off. He should've known better and not let his selfish desires overstep the needs of others.

Lois had moved on with her life, and it was an act he couldn't blame her for, no matter how much he wished things were different.

He sighed, unaware until now how much his heavy thoughts occupied the night. So much so that he was only a quarter of a mile from the Daily Planet when a limousine stopped along the curb beside him.

The window rolled down, and the face of an old friend appeared behind it.

"Bruce?"

**To be continued…**


	2. Chapter 2

**Title**: Unmasked

**Author**: Nadia Mack

**Rating**: K

**Disclaimer**: I Own Nothing

**Summary**: Post Superman Returns. Behind the hero is a man longing to be free.

**Author's Notes**: Thank you all for the feedback. It's greatly appreciated. I can't guarantee that my tenses are any better, but I'll cross my fingers that it turns out at least half-way decent.

**Chapter 2**: Old Friends

Clark stepped into the limousine and leaned back against the chair for comfort. He shook his head with a bemused smile. He had known Bruce Wayne longer than he'd known Lois, and besides his mother, it was good to see another friendly face.

He looked over his shoulder and said hello to the driver, who happened to be a friend as well.

"Good evening, Alfred," Clark greeted with a smile.

"And good evening to you, too, Master Kent. It is good to see you again," Alfred replied in his regular cheery yet refined tone.

"Thanks, Alfred." Clark turned back around to face Bruce. "Why does he still insist on calling me Master Kent?"

Bruce shrugged. "English propriety, I guess. It's in his blood." He poured Clark a drink and refilled his glass. "Welcome back, by the way."

Clark took the glass from his hand. "Thanks," he replied weakly.

"That doesn't sound like the Clark I know." There was a long almost drawn out silence before he continued. "I've been following the news in Metropolis the past few days," he revealed followed by a wry grin. "Leave it to you to make a grand entrance."

"You saw that?" Clark said sheepishly.

"It was all over the news," Bruce reminded him.

"Right."

The two had met in China, shortly after Bruce left Gotham City. The young and ambitious man was having issues with the locals when Clark had interceded and helped him out of a jam. They had been friends ever since, almost like brothers.

"How's Gotham?"

"Better," Bruce answered simply, taking a sip of his brandy.

Clark nodded in understanding. During the couple of weeks he spent at the farm when he first returned, in addition to reading up on the happenings of Metropolis, he spent a couple of lunches over at the library to see what else was happening in the world. To his amusement and surprise, a dark figure known as Batman has been aiding in taking down ruthless criminals in the darker parts of Gotham City.

He immediately knew who was behind the mask and thought not to talk about it any further unless he wanted to. Naturally, it goes both ways.

"Um… not that it isn't good to see you, but why are you here?"

"Your mom called me."

Clark raised his eyebrows. "My mom called you?" he repeated skeptically. "What for?"

Bruce tried not to smirk. "Because she mentioned that you needed a place to stay, and knowing you, you easily forget all the little things like… I don't know… getting an apartment for an example."

"Yeah, I was on my way to do just that," Clark replied sarcastically.

"No need." Bruce reached into his coat pocket and took out a small envelope. He handed it to Clark before attending to his drink once more.

Clark looked at it curiously before opening to see its contents. Inside was a set of keys, a pamphlet, and a lease. After looking at the pamphlet and saw pictures of a penthouse model, he faced Bruce with a serious expression.

"Bruce, I can't afford this."

"Oh, you mean the lease?" he asked and then waved it off with a hand. "That's just for show. Forget about the rent, the apartment is yours, just make sure you pay all the other necessities. Consider it a gift for saving the world."

Clark sighed. "You know I don't take payoffs."

"That's too bad, because I'm not taking it back and everything is in order. All you have to do now is move in. Besides, it's not like I don't owe you one." He paused and then chuckled. "If you don't take it, I'll tell your mom."

"That's rich. Threatening to tell my mother. And that's beside the point," Clark argued so relentlessly that it was beginning to tire Bruce out… almost.

"Look, the place is perfect for you. It's located in the high-rise district just a few blocks away from your job. You can fly in and out undetected, and if you really feel that uncomfortable, you can start by babysitting for me and we'll be even."

"Babysitting?"

"Yeah, I'll tell you all about it later," he replied vaguely. The limo came to a sudden stop. "We're here."

If it hadn't been for the last few weeks, Clark would've been dead set to say no, but right now, he just didn't have the heart to refuse his offer. He trusted Bruce completely, so that wasn't the problem.

After a few more words and a goodbye to Alfred, Clark stepped out of the vehicle and looked at the address of his new place.

_1938 Sullivan Lane_.

* * *

Clark stepped inside his unfurnished new abode. He had to give Bruce credit for his excellent taste. Even when it was unwanted, he could hardly complain. The location was perfect and the view was even better than he had expected. It was large and spacious with ceiling high windows along one wall that led and opened to a balcony that reminded him of Lois's apartment back before she was…

No. He couldn't go there. Thinking about it hurt him even more than just knowing it, and then acknowledging that it wasn't going to go away. If only he had the ability to turn back time, he wouldn't be walking around in self-pity thinking of a life that could've been.

Searching every room, he found the place to be to his liking despite his earlier protests. It had three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a gorgeous kitchen, office space, a living and dining room too. Even without any furnishings, it was practically too much.

"Home sweet home, I guess," he uttered to himself.

* * *

At the Daily Planet, Clark stumbled out of the supply closet with two of his suitcases in hand; the bull pen had been twice as active since Superman had returned, and it had become ten times worse after Lex Luthor's failed attempt in taking over the real estate market. The office was nothing but chaos.

Perry didn't believe in days off. He had everyone working full time. _The news doesn't rest_, he would remind them constantly.

"Oh hey, Clark!"

The sound of her voice froze him on the spot.

"Where have you been?" she asked with a hint of concern in her voice. "We haven't seen you around these past couple of days. Jimmy tried calling but I don't think you even had a phone."

Clark swallowed hard before turning around. He pushed his thick black-rimmed glasses up the bridge of his nose with his forefinger as he faced Lois Lane.

"Oh, hello Lois. I've just been… you know… around."

Her brows furrowed as if assessing his answer, and for a moment, he feared she would discover everything. Before she got around to questioning him further, Richard White arrived and immediately dropped a light kiss on her lips, an action that made Clark flinch. He didn't think it was something he would ever get used to.

"How are you doing, Clark?" Richard asked politely.

"I'm fine," he replied with as much enthusiasm as he could muster. "I was just about to head out." Clark picked up his two suitcases.

"You've finally found a place?" Lois asked rhetorically this word implies the dialogue before is a question. "That's great, Clark. I was just about to mention to Richard that you should stay with us until you got back on your feet."

Clark wished all of a sudden that he could super speed out of there. While the thought of being able to see Jason brought him unexpected joy and excitement, it was quickly quelled considering the situation would have required him to be in Lois and Richard's constant presence. He might have been referred to as the Man of Steel, but that was certainly something he just couldn't stomach.

"That's really nice of you, Lois, but its okay. I'm moving in there right now."

"Need a lift, I have my car?" Richard asked his tone and look was nothing but genuine, which made everything that much more complicated. All those times Lois had claimed she had the worst taste in men, she just happened to find the perfect one now.

"That's all right," he politely refused. "It's not that far."

"Really?" Lois asked, looking far more intrigued than she had been ever since he returned. "Where at?"

Shifting from one heel to another, Clark meekly replied, "It's a few blocks from here. Sullivan Lane."

"Wow, Clark. I didn't know you had such… taste." The surprise in her voice was evident to both men, but Clark avoided discussing it further all the same.

"Well, I've got to get going now, so, um… I'll see you two in a little bit." Clark quickly moved past them to reach the elevator. Unbeknownst to him, Lois looked on in continued interest.

"That was weird," she observed.

Richard turned to her a little confused. "What do you mean?"

"I wish I knew."

**To be continued…**


	3. Chapter 3

**Title**: Unmasked

**Author**: Nadia Mack

**Rating**: K

**Disclaimer**: I Own Nothing

**Summary**: Post Superman Returns. Behind the hero is a man longing to be free.

**Author's Notes**: Thank you again for the fantastic feedback. I wanted to clear up and answer a few things so here we go: _1938 Sullivan Lane_ is a reference to the apartment building that Lois and Clark reside in the comics, a building also owned by Bruce Wayne. Speaking of Mr. Wayne, he is a supporting character here. The whole Bruce/Clark exchange was a sort of shout out from their interaction in the Batman/Superman comics. Love that!

**Chapter 3**: Rooftop Rendezvous

"How many T's in _constitution_?" Lois bellowed as she typed furiously on her keyboard. She received a very resounding "Three!" from multiple co-workers just as they were all finishing up their assignments for the morning edition.

She glanced over her shoulder and saw her son, Jason, drawing away on Clark's desk and smiled.

Once living the life of a general's daughter, she had always been described as rebellious and strong-willed, independent and self-sufficient; and while she had made her fair share of mistakes throughout her life, Jason Lane was the only consequence she had welcomed with pleasure.

"Jason, what are you drawing, sweetie?"

"Superman!" he answered in a lively voice.

_Again_, she mused. As complicated as life was, especially hers, it was still nice to know that her son held the man nobody seemed able to touch, herself included, in such a good light. Ever since that dreadful experience on the Gertrude, there wasn't a day that went by that Jason hadn't talked about him.

Her special little boy had fallen for him.

Just as she had.

Somehow, she wasn't at all surprised. Superman was the kind of man who welcomed everyone, whether they be good or bad. She didn't even think there was a person out there that he outright hated… well, maybe perhaps Lex Luthor, but she could hardly blame him for that.

Lex Luthor.

The name brought chills to her spine. Flashes of her time on his yacht holding onto her son as he tested his theory on Jason with a wave of his Kryptonite cylinder made her sick to her stomach and more than a little scared. Regardless of what she felt for Superman, her… their son came first.

For the past week, Superman had been missing in her life, but not missing from the world. She understood though, after the threat against the United States' eastern seaboard, Superman was needed elsewhere, providing relief and aid to the city.

Thinking of this, she was ashamed to have ever written a story called 'Why the World Doesn't Need Superman.'

"Mommy," Jason interrupted her with a guilty look on his face, holding out her colleague's stapler, broken in half.

Lois gasped but suppressed her reaction almost immediately, grabbing the stapler from his hand and dumping it in the trash can right underneath her desk.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"Oh, sweetie…" She pulled her son into a loving and maternal hug, rubbing his back up and down to assure him. "It's okay," she whispered by his ear as he nodded into her shoulder. "Just be careful next time."

"I don't know how it happened," he said, confused by how easy it was to break a stapler. "I don't want to get in trouble with Mister Clark. I like him."

Lois smiled despite of the situation. Contrary to popular belief, she had always respected Clark, and these past couple of days wouldn't have been easy for her if it hadn't been for his help.

Back to being the new guy on the block, Clark was able to look after Jason while Lois and Richard ran all over the city to get a more accurate view of the disaster that almost fell on Metropolis.

She reminded herself to take him out to lunch or something, to say thank you. It was the least she could do.

"I'm sure he won't be upset," she said, squeezing her son's hand a bit to assure him.

"Promise?"

Lois chuckled. "I'm sure he won't even notice that it's gone."

* * *

"Um… Lois. Have you seen my stapler?"

Her eyes widened almost immediately, and if it wasn't for motherhood, she would've cursed out loud by now. She turned in her chair and looked at Clark in ignorance. "Stapler? I don't really… here," she grabbed a fellow reporter's stapler off their desk and handed it to Clark. "They won't miss it."

Clark lifted his eyebrows, and when Lois turned back around his vision focused on her trash can. The image of his stapler broken in half buried deep inside it. He looked up and saw Jason hanging out in Richard's office and he realized what had happened.

He took a piece of paper, and scribbled a note to Lois. Then he quickly placed it underneath her mouse pad while her attention was occupied elsewhere. He hoped she found it in time before the next call for help took his attention away. He needed to talk to her, at least for a little bit.

After a meeting with their editor, several shouts, half a dozen cups of coffee and a newly set deadline, they were all finally free to head home when Lois noticed a piece of paper sticking out from under her mouse pad. When she pulled it out, she recognized the handwriting and knew right away where it had come from.

With a look of urgency, she looked back to Perry's office and saw that Richard was in deep conversation with his uncle. A few offices away, she saw her little boy napping on the sofa inside Richard's office. Soon after, she left for the elevators to head to the roof. Unbeknownst to her, someone else had already beaten her to it.

When she stepped out onto the roof, she didn't expect Superman to be waiting for her. It was normally the other way around.

"Good evening, Lois."

She inhaled deeply, taking in the sound of his voice. Even after all these years, he still managed to affect her like no other, not even Richard.

"Superman," she greeted in return, keeping her distance from the man she once and still loved.

"How are you?"

"Good," she gulped. She hadn't been this nervous around him for a long time. "And you?"

He smiled. "How's Jason?"

"He's fine," she replied. "A little confused, and that's probably because he's a little too smart for his age." She remembered the first time Jason was introduced to mathematics and how quickly he started to learn it, and she wondered what else her son could do now that she had accepted plenty of things she had regrettably avoided for many years.

"I don't think so," Superman said. "He is his mother's son."

Lois smiled appreciatively, but the time for mere chit-chat had to end. They really needed to talk.

"What do we do now?"

Superman honestly didn't know how to respond to that. To be honest, it was all his mind had ever really been able to think about. So far he'd had very little success with an answer let alone a solution.

"Have you told Richard?"

She shook her head. "I don't know how."

"Just tell him the truth, Lois," was his only reply. "I don't… I don't want to come between you two," he admitted with great difficulty. "And I'm not going to get in the way of that. He _is_ Jason's father."

Lois sighed. "I don't know how you can say that and make it sound so easy."

"It's not," he said. "Believe me, it's not."

"I can't even imagine what he'll think," she said, covering her face with her hands before brushing it over her hair. "He's always wondered about us, but I always told him that…" It was hard for her to even think about the past without falling apart. "Anyway, he doesn't know that there was ever really an 'us' to begin with."

"I understand."

"Do you?" she questioned gravely. "How do I tell my fiancé that I was once involved with Superman? How do I tell him that the son he's loved and raised is really _your_ son? And to top it all off, how do I tell _our_ son that he's…" She felt the need to sit down but instead chose to lean back against the ledge.

"It'll take some time, but Jason will understand, and so will Richard," was his only answer even though he knew it wasn't going to be that easy. Right now, all he could do is to show her that this time, she wouldn't have to do things alone, at least as far as their past was concerned.

"But how do you know that?" She sighed in exasperation.

A sense of recognition appeared across Superman's features, and the sight didn't go unnoticed by Lois as she stopped to take a really good look at the man she'd tried to move past for all these years. For the first time since they'd known each other, Lois Lane questioned his identity.

"What aren't you telling me?" she added.

"There are things about me that you don't know about," he said, his voice filled with more emotions than she could describe.

"What kind of things?"

"That I'm not as different from people… from Richard…that people have come to believe."

Just as Lois was going to inquire further, Superman's attention suddenly fell elsewhere, and her mind raced at his words. _What did he mean by that?_ She looked back at Superman with concern.

"When can I see you again?"

"Soon… I hope."

"Be careful out there," she said and he smiled.

"Always." And then he was gone.

* * *

Lois returned to her desk, her mind reeling with questions as she went over the events that occurred just a few minutes ago. _Superman said something about understanding, but did that mean he could relate to people at ground level as opposed to seeing us from the sky?_ She didn't know, and all that was left was further confusion.

"Are you ready to go?" Richard asked, interrupting her thoughts.

"Yeah," she responded half-heartedly, looking between Richard and her son.

She lived the life she could easily assume everyone wanted. She had the pleasure of having a job she loved, of having friends she cared for, a good man to share it with, and even an amazing child to fill it with happiness. But even with all that, there was still something missing.

Shamefully, she knew exactly what that was, so every time she looked into her fiancé's eyes, she was reminded of her mistakes, and the love she couldn't have. It was unfair to the family she had created, and unless she could put away her fear of hurting Richard and putting Jason in an uncomfortable situation, she had to come clean or else she would be trapped in marriage where her heart wasn't committed 100 percent.

It suddenly dawned on her, that no matter how she went about it, they were all going to be hurt by this.

So she knew what she had to do.

**To be continued…**


	4. Chapter 4

**Title**: Unmasked

**Author**: Nadia Mack

**Rating**: T

**Disclaimer**: I Own Nothing

**Summary**: Post Superman Returns. Behind the hero is a man longing to be free.

**Author's Notes**: You all are really amazing. Thank you heartily for all the wonderful feedback.

**Chapter 4**: **Jason**

Superman didn't know how long he stood there, still and silent, watching over his son like some kind of angel or guardian. Six years ago he wouldn't have believed it was possible, but there he was, alive and breathing, snuggled comfortably within his blanket. He's never seen anything more beautiful.

Jason.

Superman continued to watch. An act he could only do. For how long, he couldn't answer. He wished he had an answer because he longed to tell the little boy who he really was, and where he truly came from.

Then there was his mother.

Lois.

For a time he despaired. A relationship with her had been hard before he left for Krypton, but now that he's returned, and she engaged to Richard White with a son they share as their own, it's become almost impossible to be a part of their lives without feeling like a third wheel. An outsider.

Soon after, Superman found himself sitting besides the small twin bed as he continued to watch his son sleep soundly. Even if he wanted to, he couldn't make himself move away. Not even the sound of the door creaking open made him want to leave.

Lois gasped softly at the sight before her that it left her unexpectedly yet pleasantly surprised.

"Superman!"

Jason turned but didn't wake up, and Superman was content just to watch him like this a little longer than he knew he should.

"I know I shouldn't be here," he said in a low voice. "But I…" he was at a loss for words. "I just… wanted to see him. He's amazing, Lois. I wish I had been there… when he was born." He finally looked up, his eyes clearly glistening with unshed tears. "One of many regrets."

Lois took a seat nearby and placed it at the opposite side of their son's bed, facing Superman. Richard was deeply asleep in the next room but for some reason neither could properly explain, they ignored that fact and the two felt the tension between them grow stronger by the second.

"I'm going to tell Richard. I just don't know _how_ to tell him, but it's going to be soon. We… I can't ignore it anymore than I already have."

"Does he suspect anything?" Superman inquired softly.

"About you and me? Probably, but with Jason I doubt it ever crossed his mind. He believed I was in a bad relationship before he met me – "

"Is that how you saw us?" Superman interrupted with a sigh.

Lois sent him a pointed look. "I couldn't exactly tell him that I was actually Superman's girlfriend at our first date, now could I." She stopped to clear her head before continuing, resting her hand on his son's tummy as she did. "You left and I was angry. After the first six months, I wanted to forget I ever met you."

Superman's eyes fell back to their son, unable to meet her intense gaze and emotional declaration. Memories of the past evading his senses.

_Superman flew to her balcony right after a disastrous night. The turmoil he felt inside himself breaking through the calm façade he displayed for the world to see. A moment later, the pain subsided when he saw the woman he has undeniably fallen in love with come rushing out to meet him._

"_Superman," she uttered, a little breathless. Lois has been watching the news over the fire that broke out in Hobbs Bay. A bomb had exploded, but even Superman's powers couldn't get there in time to save a group of children caught in the crossfire._

"_I'm sorry for coming here so late," he apologized; the only need he cared for at the moment was to see her until he found himself unable to stand straight._

_  
"Here," she led him inside. "When was the last time you slept?" she asked as they stopped next to her couch while simultaneously wondering to herself if Superman even slept. _

_The next thing Superman knew, he was sitting down, his hands over his face as he tried to purge the torched bodies of the bombing's victims out of his mind with little success._

"_I couldn't save them."_

"_It wasn't your fault," she said softly, pulling his hands from his face. "You can't save everybody."_

"_I sometimes wonder if it even matters."_

"_It always matters," she said intensely yet supportingly. "Even the smallest act of kindness matter."_

_Lois saw him differently tonight than the many nights that they've shared in each other's company. Tonight, she found herself not looking at a demigod, but as a man. A man who needed comfort despite the comfort his mere presence gave to the world, and she wanted to share that comfort with him._

"_I should go," he said, always the gentleman._

"_No." She stopped him with a single hand to his chest. "Stay," she said, her lips inching towards his. Their hearts raced at the same time as the implication of her words sunk into Superman's consciousness. "Stay with me Sup… Kal-El."_

_His name on her lips brought out something inside him that he's suppressed since the moment he'd fallen for her. And when their lips touched, he found himself becoming undone._

_"Say it again."_

_She smiled in his kiss. "Kal-El."_

That night replayed in his mind over and over again. It had been his first time, and he remembered how patient she was with him. He became nervous and shy, a glimpse of Clark in him appeared but she only thought it was amusing that the most powerful man in the world could quiver so close to her.

They made love twice that night. The first started out with the feeling of discovery, knowing each other on a level they've carefully avoided till that night. His confidence in himself grew, and the second time was slightly far different than the first, and he allowed himself to get lost in her embrace, in their dance.

"What are you thinking?" Lois asked, breaking through his thoughts.

"The past," Superman answered simply.

"I find myself thinking about the past too," Lois replied. "But that doesn't change the present." Superman gave a barely noticeable sigh. "They're both going to have questions I can't answer." She was referring to Richard and Jason. "This morning, he broke a stapler in half, and all I could tell him was to _be careful next time_," she revealed. "I don't even know what to expect."

Superman met her eyes and gazed into them emotionally. He wanted nothing more than to assure her that everything was going to be okay.

"I imagine he'll grow into his gifts just as I did mine," Superman said, taking Lois a bit by surprised.

Suddenly, the investigative reporter in her took the place of the mother. "What exactly do you mean by that? You didn't always have your powers?"

Superman nodded. "I was about four years old when my strength started showing, but it would come and go, normally it'd come when I felt scared or threatened, and sometimes when I'm excited about something."

Lois remained dazed by the revelation. Another secret in his past discovered. He had spoken to her about Krypton at length, and about his biological parents Jor-El and Lara, but that was all she really knew about him on a personal level, nothing else beyond that.

In spite of the discovery, she chuckled softly.

Superman could only look back, unprepared by her reaction.

"What?"

"Nothing," she said, but then changed her mind. "I mean… the thought of you as a kid… it never really occurred to me before that you could've been one."

"There's so much I want to tell you, Lois."

"Then start now."

"I – " he began but the sounded of a third voice called out to her.

Startled, Lois turned to the direction of the voice before looking back at Superman, but by the time that she did, the space he occupied besides their son was empty, and he was gone again, leaving the breeze through the open window in his wake.

"Hey," Richard said, entering the room and giving her a warm kiss on the forehead. "Is everything okay?" He looked over Jason to double check himself, and then moved tot he window to close it when he felt the bit of cold. When all was good, he faced Lois again. "Are you okay?"

Lois didn't know if she'll ever be okay.

"Let's go to bed."

Richard nodded, holding her hand and leading her out of the room.

Landing on the balcony of his new yet still unfurnished apartment, Clark picked up his cordless phone and dialed a familiar set of numbers. After a few rings, a kind sounding elderly man answered.

"Sorry for the late call, Alfred, but is Bruce there?"

"Of course, Master Kent. One moment."

"Thanks."

Several moments later, Bruce's voice appeared. "If this is about the apartment, I'm not taking it back," he said decisively.

"No, the apartment is fine Bruce, thank you, but I need your help on another matter."

"It's about time you actually asked me for help. Took you long enough," Bruce said with humor. "What do you need?"

"Medical records."

Bruce lifted his eyebrow. "Of whom?"

"Jason Lane."

**To be continued…**


	5. Chapter 5

**Title**: Unmasked

**Author**: Nadia Mack

**Rating**: K

**Disclaimer**: I Own Nothing

**Summary**: Post Superman Returns. Behind the hero is a man longing to be free.

**Author's Notes**: You all are utterly fantastic! I don't know what to say. I've never received this much feedback in this site in a matter of 24 hours before, so I'm a bit overwhelmed. Fortunately, it encouraged me to write more so here you go. I hope you like it.

**Chapter 5**: **Discovery**

"Could you watch Jason for a couple of hours this afternoon?"

Clark looked at her, eyes wide and his jaw trying to reach for the floor. A few minutes ago, Lois and Richard were called into Perry's office, but he made a conscious effort not to eavesdrop so often than it was necessary. So when she stepped out of the meeting and asked if he, Clark Kent, could watch over Jason, he was beyond surprised and elated at the same time.

"Of course!" Clark exclaimed a bit too excitedly but then immediately cleared his throat. He turned to Richard. "Is that okay with you?"

"It's not a problem with me if it's not a problem with her," Richard answered with a shrug. "What about you buddy?" he asked Jason, who stood besides his mother's leg. "Do you think you can hang out with Mr. Kent this afternoon?"

Jason smiled widely, then nodded enthusiastically.

"Yeah!"

Richard smiled. "There's your answer."

Lois kneeled before Jason and started to go through the list of things he shouldn't forget. Jason nodded to every single one of them; his regimen has become second nature to him that he barely needed any reminding. Then Lois stood before Clark and gave him a list of reminders as well, just in case Jason forgot.

"Thanks, Clark. I really appreciate this."

"It's no problem at all," Clark said, holding his emotions together. He felt the need to burst but thankfully, nothing of the kind happened.

"Be a good boy to Clark, okay Jason?"

Jason nodded. "Yes mom."

"Okay."

With one last glance towards Clark, she headed out the door with Richard close behind. Nervously, Clark glanced down and saw little Jason eyeing him peculiarly.

"So…" he began sheepishly. "What would you like to do?"

Jason shrugged, and then smiled, pulling on his sleeve. A gesture Clark assumed that he wanted him to go down and face him at eye level. So he placed one knee down on the floor while his forearm rested on the other knee. Jason leaned in to his ear and whispered, "Can you take me flying?"

Clark was speechless, and was left unable to answer him as quickly as he should.

"I'm sorry Jason, but I don't know how to fly planes."

Jason frowned; he wasn't referring to a plane. He whispered into Clark's ear once more as Clark himself adjusted his tie, feeling the tightness of it stronger now than ever before. "Not that flying," he said in such a childlike manner. "Flying without planes."

"Oh," Clark reacted timidly. "Um… Jason."

"How come you where a costume?" Jason asked, further solidifying to Clark about what he actually knew. He didn't expect this at all, and he was hoping to talk to Lois some more before he actually started sharing more information with Jason.

"Um…" Clark was fidgeting now. "So I can help people."

"Not that costume." Jason pointed to his three-piece suit and glasses. "This one."

Clark weakly smiled. "I... uh... this isn't… well… it isn't a costume. Not really."

Jason didn't look entirely convinced.

"Then how come nobody knows that you're here?"

The kid was too smart, perceptive and curious for his own good. Lois could take full responsibility for that and wondered what else their son's mind has figured out. Judging by his reaction, Jason didn't look at all afraid, just a little confused like Lois has said.

"Well…" he began, easing in the conversation just a little bit. "Well, because people don't know who I am."

"I do," Jason responded with such a triumphant smile.

"Um…" Clark took a deep breath, looking around the office and noticing the busy atmosphere. He didn't want to have this talk here, so he decided to find a quieter place. "What do you say we go up to the roof and talk a bit further?"

Jason's eyes lit up. "Okay!"

Clark nodded, equally as enthusiastic. "Up we go, then."

* * *

It's not exactly the tallest building in Metropolis but it is one of the most recognizable and the most famous. The recently reattached globe of the Daily Planet building has shown brightly for over seventy years, representing the beauty of the city and the ideals for which the newspaper was founded on. 

Now, Clark Kent stood on the roof with Jason, who sat on the ledge, his feet dangling on the side building whileClark supported his back with his chest, holding onto him firmly as they both looked out into the city. Clark was even more surprised to see Jason looking up into the sun, as if, on some unconscious level, knew that it gave him strength.

"I guess you have a lot of questions," Clark said, breaking the silence. He was nervous earlier, and while traces of shyness were clear in his expression, he was a lot more confident talking to him now than he was before. "I'll try my best to answer them."

"Is Superman your real name?" Jason asked with so much wonder evident in his crystal blue eyes. His eyes.

Clark chuckled. "No, it's not I'm afraid."

"How come?"

"Well… um… your mom named me."

"Really?"

Clark nodded, slightly amused at how inquisitive he is. "Hmm mm. This is where she first met Superman, actually," he said pointing to the roof, remembering the first time he rescued Lois. "She was covering a story and she fell off a helicopter," he explained as simplistic as possible.

Jason gasped, and it was the cutest sight Clark's ever seen.

"Don't worry, I won't ever let anything happen to her," Clark said assuringly. "You too, you know."

Jason smiled and nodded. "What about daddy?"

As much as it hurt not having the pleasure of being called that himself, he knew, from the bottom of his heart, that he could never refuse his son, nor could he ignore how good of a father and fiancée Richard is to both Jason and Lois.

"I won't let anything happen to your dad, too," Clark replied in earnest.

Satisfied, Jason went back to his earlier request. "Can you take me flying now?"

Clark laughed. "No, not yet. But soon, I hope."

Jason looked sad for a moment before thinking out loud, "Can we hang out more?"

A burst of happiness and joy filled his sense before reality hit him back to the ground again. Being with Jason was a rare occurrence, and he didn't know how much more time they could spend together in the future so he didn't want to let the moment pass them by.

"I'd love that," Clark said, hiding his sadness over the situation.

Jason twisted his body around and wrapped his little arms around his neck. Clark squeezed him softly, a single tear falling from his eye as he held his son in his arms for the very first time.

"Thank you, Mister Superman."

Clark chuckled as he hesitantly let him go, wiping the one tear away at the same time so he didn't notice. "You think you could call me Clark when I'm not in my costume?"

Jason nodded and grinned. "Okay, Mister Clark!"

Clark pulled him in and hugged him again. He didn't think he would ever get tired of it.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome," Jason returned.

"Come on, we should head back downstairs before your Uncle Perry gets worried about you," Clark said, carrying him in his arms as he moved away from the ledge and back to the stairs. He wanted to hold him a little longer before Jason went back to the life he couldn't be a part of.

* * *

True to his word, Jason kept Superman and Clark Kent separately, and Clark couldn't help but be so appreciative of his natural efforts to protect his secret. As the boy grew older, it won't always be as easy, and he was coming to the sudden realization, that he too, have held off the truth for far too long. 

Just as his thoughts were taking a turn for the honest, his desk phone rang. Clark picked up the handset and greeted openly through the receiver.

"Daily Planet, Clark Kent speaking, how can I help you?"

"I'll never get used to hearing you answer the phone like that," Bruce replied on the other line as Clark forced himself not to chuckle.

"What's up?"

"I got those records you wanted," Bruce said, getting right down to business. "Unfortunately, I have no idea what any of it means so I had Lucius take a look at it."

"Can he be trusted?" Clark asked with obvious concern. He'd heard about Lucius Fox and how Bruce had entrusted Wayne Enterprises to him after buying out most of the company's shares and firing the previous CEO, so he had some comfort but not enough to be negligent.

"He has our utmost confidence, Clark."

In Gotham City, Bruce Wayne sat before his computer console with a wireless ear piece as he spoke through a microphone with Clark Kent on the other line. He flipped over the child's file and committed to memory what Lucius has relayed to him about his findings.

"What did you find out?"

"The kid has some major health issues. According to this, his allergies range from nuts, seafood, wheat and even milk. I guess ice-cream is a no go in the Lane-White household."

Clark already knew that much about him and was glad that it was treatable, but he was concerned about something else. "Anything out of the ordinary?"

"Yeah, other than being born premature, the kid has a pretty high I.Q. according to his psych evaluation."

"He had a psych evaluation?" Clark repeated with concern.

"Don't worry, he passed in flying colors. There's nothing really out of the ordinary with him. His blood work looks… wait a second."

"What?" Clark replied with barely contained anticipation. If it wasn't for his deadline and the pleasure of getting to know Jason, he'd be at Wayne Manor this instant trying to figure out what made his son so fragile.

"Well… I didn't notice it before, but I think his file is incomplete."

"Repeat that by me again," Clark requested in spite of his super hearing advantage.

"There are a lot of blackouts in the comments section, but I didn't really pay attention to that." Bruce adjusted himself in his seat. "Why the curiosity, Kent? What's so special about this kid that has you asking me to sneak into his medical files? I knew you had a thing for his mom back then, but that was what… five… six years ago."

"Six years to the rest of the world, but only a couple of weeks for me," Clark admitted with exasperation. "Bruce…"

But Bruce didn't need further explanation as the date of Jason Lane's birth revealed itself clear in black ink. He finally understood his friend's desperation, and to some degree,related to it.

"Don't worry about it. I'll see what I can find out on my end, but in the meantime, get some rest. You sound like crap."

At the Daily Planet, Clark looked over his shoulder to find Jason drawing on Lois's desk and smiled.

"I'll keep that in mind, thanks Bruce." He hung up the phone.

Back in Gotham City, Bruce took the elevator back up to the main house. Once he made his way out to the library, he spotted a small bundle of energy bouncing atop his butler's shoulder.

"Be careful Alfred," Bruce said anxiously, still getting used to being a father.

"Nonsense, Master Wayne," Alfred replied with that trademark wit of his. "I'll have you know that I'm quite accomplished at this, right Miss Helena?"

"Right!" Little Helena said, repeating the first words she's learned. Last week was 'no' and this week is 'right.'

Bruce smiled. If his suspicions was correct about Jason Lane, his friend is going to have his work cut out for him, and he'll no doubt love every minute of it.

**To be continued…**

- Information on the Daily Planet was taken from Superman Returns Visual Guide, page 44.


	6. Chapter 6

**Title**: Unmasked

**Author**: Nadia Mack

**Rating**: T

**Disclaimer**: I Own Nothing

**Summary**: Post Superman Returns. Behind the hero is a man longing to be free.

**Chapter 6**: **Dangerous Night**

After their last interview, Lois and Richard were about to head back to the office when Richard suggested that they ask Clark to look after Jason so they could take the evening off. It would be the first time they had been able to for a while, especially after what happened to Metropolis.

"You know, it was really nice of Clark to look after Jason tonight," Richard said as he ate his salad. He looked over to his fiancée whose mind seemed light years away. "Lois, are you listening to me?"

"What?" Lois looked at him and shook her head. "You said something?"

Richard sighed. "I was just saying that it was nice that… Nevermind." Even though he was a big fan of Superman, he couldn't deny the looks that had passed between them on the seaplane when they rescued Superman. Nothing had been the same since the hero got back, especially his relationship with his own fiancée.

"Richard, I'm sorry," Lois apologized. "I've just had a lot on my mind lately."

"Lois, you've barely touched your food. What's going on?" he paused, letting the question sink in before continuing. "You can tell me, you know."

"I know I can."

Yet she couldn't, or at least, she had a hard time doing it. So much had been going on; Lois didn't know where to begin. There just wasn't a perfect time to tell him, and she desperately wanted to find a better solution. Unfortunately, there was only one way of doing it, and it would only result in hurting the people she cared for.

* * *

Just as the afternoon ended, Clark received a call from Richard asking if he could watch over Jason a little longer. Clark, who welcomed spending time with Jason, looked forward to it.

Jason looked way up at his new friend's towering form. "Where are we going, Mister Clark?"

Clark smiled. "It's a surprise." He lifted Jason with barely any effort and set him up on his shoulder as he led him outside the Daily Planet. He didn't know when he would be able to spend time like this with him again, so he took the opportunity to enjoy something his father had once done for him when he was Jason's age.

Jason was so excited to be taller than everyone, and one day, Mister Clark was going to take him flying, and he couldn't wait. When they finally made it to their destination, Jason let out a big 'O.' It was the Metropolis Museum of Art.

"I noticed you liked to draw a lot and thought you'd like to see some art."

"Yay!" Jason exclaimed happily.

* * *

Richard hurried out of the restaurant and into the alleyway with Lois trailing shortly behind. His emotions were in a state of turmoil as the truth sunk in. Towards the end of dinner, nothing was ever the same, and he didn't think it could ever be the same.

"Richard, please! Slow down," Lois pleaded as she caught up to him. She stopped him by the arm before turning him to face her.

"All this time, you told me that you didn't love him… every time, Lois. You said every time you didn't."

"I know," she acknowledged guiltily.

"Were you ever going to tell me your feelings for him?" he said to her, his anger and hurt boiling to the surface. Richard had always thought he was a tolerant and patient man, but this was almost too much for him. "_Were_ you?"

"I don't know," she admitted truthfully.

This admission, added to his knowledge of Jason's true paternity, caused Richard to finally break down. His eyes filled with tears as the realization that everything he held dear was slipping from him. He leaned back against the wall and slid down to his knees.

"I always knew," he revealed, his voice hollow. "Always knew that there was a part of you that could never be mine." He swallowed the lump in his throat as he let his feelings out in the open, finally. "And I thought if I waited long enough, you'd be ready to love me completely."

"I'm sorry," was all she could say.

Richard wiped away the remaining tears before picking himself back up.

"Me too," he said, and that was the last they said to each other for a while because once the meteors hit, they do speak.

* * *

After taking their time looking at all the art exhibits, Clark led Jason back outside to hail a taxi. The museum was going to close soon, and Clark wanted to take him back to the office so his mom and Richard wouldn't worry where they were when they arrived.

"Did you have fun?"

"The best!"

Clark laughed, relieved that his first night out with his son had been a relative success. Throughout their entire jaunt in the museum, Jason's inquisitive nature got the better of him and he started asking him a bunch of questions about the artists, why they had drawn the works, and what some of the paintings meant. Clark was more than happy and eager to answer them the best he could.

"Mister Clark, look!" Jason pointed out into the night sky where Clark could see the faint light of a comet's tail. "Is that a shooting star?"

Clark then realized what Jason was looking at and he looked down at him amazed. "You can see that?"

Jason nodded.

_Oh boy_, Clark thought. He looked back up in the sky when several more comets appeared. It looked odd to him, so out of habit, he focused his vision and realized that they weren't comets at all. They were meteors, and judging by the speed of their velocity, they were heading toward earth, and in a matter of a few minutes, Metropolis.

"Oh no," he said, picking Jason up. "Hold on to me, Jason." Jason nodded without trouble.

"What's happening, Mister Clark?"

"I don't know, but the sky isn't safe right now. I have to get you out of here." He paused and then added. "We're going to have to fly a lot sooner than expected."

Fearful that his son might get hurt, he did the only he could do to insure his safety, he quickly found an alley, and revealed his trademark red and blue much to Jason's utter astonishment, and he flew them away to the only place he knew would keep him safe.

Outside Gotham City, Bruce stepped out onto the balustrade as Superman descended slowly from the sky, an extra passenger in tow. Bruce recognized the child immediately.

"Who do we have here?" he asked, his tone light and playful.

Jason held his arms firmly around Superman's neck, not wanting to let go just yet. In a soft comforting whisper, he spoke to him.

"It's okay, Jason. He's a friend of mine. He won't hurt you, I promise."

Jason slowly picked his head up, and then turned to face the stranger. "Hello," Jason greeted him in a quiet voice.

"My name is Bruce," he introduced himself. "And you are?"

"Jason," he replied softly.

"It's nice to meet you," Bruce said with a smile before turning to his butler. "This is my friend Alfred, he's going to look after you while Superman goes back to help people. Is that okay, Jason?"

Jason nodded.

"Okay," Bruce said, giving his friend a quick look before Clark put Jason on the ground and watched Alfred take his hand and lead him into the manor. Once they were out of earshot, Bruce glanced back at Clark with a 'what the hell?' look.

"I need you to look after him for a while," Superman said.

"No kidding," Bruce shot back with an indignant look. "A little warning would've been nice. I could be striking fear into the hearts of criminals right now," he said sarcastically. "What the hell is going on?"

"Fragments of New Krypton are headed towards Earth's atmosphere," Superman revealed. Bruce nodded, accepting the situation. "And they're headed straight towards Metropolis."

"That city gets all the fun," Bruce said with a mocking sigh.

Superman sent him a disapproving glare.

"Relax. I'm kidding."

"Lois and Richard are there. I have to warn them. Will you watch Jason for me?" he asked again, just to make sure.

"I'll protect him with my life, Clark," Bruce said in all honesty, and he meant it. "I'll call in for extra help when those meteors fall. Someone out there should already know they're coming but it's better to be safe than sorry."

"Thanks." And then he flew off.

At the window, Jason watched him fly and hoped everything was going to be okay.

"Come, Master Jason," Alfred said calmly. "I have a shelf full of cookies at your disposal if you'd like."

* * *

Lois and Richard were on their way back to the planet to pick up Jason when the first meteor fell, flipping their car sideways. They both came out of it relatively unscathed, but the first thing that entered Lois's mind was her son.

"Jason!"

"I'm sure he's all right," Richard said, speaking up for the first time since they left the restaurant. Searching for his cell phone, another meteor fell a few meters from them. "What's happening?"

Lois took a few steps towards the crater when she saw what it was. _Oh, my God_. She recognized the green glow. Kryptonite.

"We have to find Jason and get him out of here?"

"What are you talking about?"

"These rocks," she said, her tone slightly panicked. "They're from that land mass Superman threw into space. The one that has kryptonite all over it." Lois was having difficultly keeping her breathing steady as she comprehended it all. "These can hurt Jason."

"Lois, look!"

They both looked up and found the sky filled with fire.

**To be continued…**


	7. Chapter 7

**Title**: Unmasked

**Author**: Nadia Mack

**Rating**: K

**Disclaimer**: I Own Nothing

**Summary**: Post Superman Returns. Behind the hero is a man longing to be free.

**Author's Notes**: Thank you all for the wonderful feedback. Whenever I update as fast as I do, I don't use a beta, and I normally end up correcting my mistakes once I post it. Also, I'm sorry for some of the grammatical errors, it seems that whenever I edit here, it sometimes connects two words together and all that. One other thing, Bruce is a single parent and that's all I'm going to say about that. lol

**Chapter 7**: **News Story**

As Lois and Richard tried to run for cover, another meteor headed their way. Before they knew what hit them, another force pushed them away before the meteor came down. They felt themselves flying – and then noticed a single arm wrapped around both their waists. It was Superman.

"Are you two all right?" he asked, flying them off to safety.

Richard tried to relax, and for a moment, he was able to forget about the last couple of hours by focusing on something more important… like surviving. Lois on the other hand couldn't believe her luck. The way her past and present collided didn't bode well for her mentality.

"I think so," Richard finally replied.

"Lois?"

"I'm fine," she managed to say aloud, and then the thought of her son flashed through her mind as Superman set them down, far away enough that the meteors wouldn't harm them. "Jason!" she exclaimed. "He's still back there."

"Don't worry," Superman said. "He's fine."

Lois opened her mouth to speak but Richard beat her to it. "Wait, where is he?"

"Clark took him to a friend of his out of town. They're safe, but right now, I need you two away from the city."

With so much going on, Lois and Richard didn't even stop to think about where exactly Clark had taken their son, and were just relieved that he was okay.

"Where are you going?"

"To stop as many as I can."

"Those meteors have kryptonite in them, you could get yourself killed."

"If I had never left, Luthor would still be in jail. The crystals would never have been used to create that thing and…" his words trailed to a halt, and neither Lois nor Richard misunderstood where it was going.

"Be careful."

Superman nodded and flew off.

* * *

The city was filled with a sea of cops and ambulances. Two major incidents in a matter of days wouldn't have boded well upon the city's morale if Superman had never returned. Thankfully, the people of Metropolis were in high spirits which helped bring back the city's sense of wonder.

* * *

"Lane! Kent! Richard!" Editor-in-Chief Perry White screamed across the newsroom. "Get in my _office_ NOW!"

The three cringed at the sound of his voice. Clark stood up awkwardly and made his way to the boss' office first, while Richard and Lois took a little while to follow suit. Since the meteor shower the previous night, the three reporters had been writing non-stop from the time the meteors had stopped falling until now.

Lois had called Clark about Jason, and by then, Clark, as Superman, had already picked him up from Wayne Manor and brought him back to the Daily Planet. It took a while before anyone at the office had the guts to pry the kid from his mother's arms. Clark just stood quietly by, letting the warmth of Lois's love for their son fill the void in his heart.

"What's going on, Chief?" Lois asked, just to ask.

Perry White sat down and prepared to give them their next assignment. "It looks like Metropolis wasn't the only place that was hit. Central City had a couple fall, so I had Troupe fly out first thing this morning to check it out." Perry pointed to Lois and Clark. "I want you two on the next plane out to Kansas." A pause. "Smallville."

Clark raised his eyebrows in surprise as he and Lois repeated his word simultaneously.

"Smallville?"

Richard and Perry looked at the two oddly before shrugging the mere coincidence off. Lois looked between the three, her face aghast at the idea.

"Chief, come on, you've got to be kidding. I'm needed here, not some town out in Nowheresville!" she argued vehemently. "That's Kent's town. He should be far more experienced there than I am."

Clark stared at her with a mixture of offense and inevitable amusement. Lois Lane was a city girl to a fault.

"Gee, Mr. White. Lois has a point. I'll be fine on my own." Inwardly, he worried about the effects the kryptonite would have on him if he went there.

"No, no." Perry ignored Clark as usual. "Richard's going to stay here and cover Metropolis, I want the two of you in Smallville, and that's final."

"What about Jason?" Lois asked, clearly upset.

"I'm sure he wouldn't mind tagging along," Richard said, encouraging his uncle, which only further upset Lois.

"I'm not bringing my son anywhere near those rocks," Lois protested out loud, much to the confusion of their boss.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Perry inquired.

Clark was caught off guard with the way she mentioned the meteor rocks so openly, and just as Lois was about to open her mouth to cover up, Richard beat her to it. "I'm sure as long as he doesn't wander off, Jason will be fine," he said followed by a reassuring smile.

Clark then realized that Richard knew about Jason, and that meant that Lois had told him everything. That also meant that he knew Superman and Lois were once involved. Clark didn't know whether to be happy that it was finally out in the open or sad because there are still so many secrets between them.

"Look, I know this is a lot to ask, but I don't want some rookie reporter making all kinds of mistakes out there." Perry eyed Lois and Clark severely. "You're my senior reporters, and regardless of how long you've been gone Kent, you two were the best damn team I've ever seen work together."

Richard's head snapped up as his uncle's words sank in. He looked carefully at Clark for the very first time, and then at Lois, and then Clark again, and wondered why Lois had never mentioned their working relationship before. Jimmy was always talking about him, and every time he did, Richard always thought the photographer was over-exaggerating, embellishing his stories to sound a lot more than they were. Apparently, his uncle shared the same opinion, and that sudden knowledge caught him off-balance. Richard always thought he knew Lois, but now he was beginning to question just how well he knew his fiancée.

Unfortunately, Lois didn't seem to be aware of the internal struggle her fiancé was experiencing, if he could even call himself her fiancé still.

"Fine!" Lois said, breaking Richard out of his thoughts. "But don't think I'm going to make this easy." She rushed out of the office with a huff.

Clark sighed, pained that he couldn't tell Lois the truth, yet but at least grateful that his mother had taken that trip to Montana with Ben Hubbard when the meteors fell. He made a mental note to give her a call as soon as he could.

Richard suddenly appeared beside him and patted his back. "It'll be all right, Kent," he said. "As long as you don't get in her way while you're over there, you'll remain relatively unscathed."

"Yeah," Clark replied dryly. "I'm sure I will."

Once Clark got back to his desk, he let out a deep breath as he recalled not just this morning's events, but yesterday's. He was utterly exhausted, spending most of the night helping people, animals and collapsed buildings. Pieces of kryptonite were littered throughout the city, which made helping a lot more difficult.

His body was still recovering. The clouds had been thick this morning and the rays of the sun barely protruded. He would have flown up there but he was just too tired to make the trip. It was best to take it easy before something worse happened.

Now, he was going to have to go back to Smallville. It was the last place he ever expected to be harmed by the land mass he sent into space. He hoped everyone was okay, and wondered to himself if he would be able to manage keeping his identities separate. The farm was the one place he could be both Kal-El and Clark Kent at the same time.

"You ready, Smallville? I don't have all day," Lois said, her arms crossed and her demeanor anything but happy. She had one foot tapping on the floor for emphasis. "The sooner we get there, the sooner we can leave."

Clark pushed his glasses up his nose. "Of course."

"Good." Lois grabbed Jason's hand. "Come on, sweetie, we have a plane and a bus to catch."

"Okay, mommy." Just as they were about to leave, Jason spun around and reached for Clark's hand as well.

"Uh… um… thanks," Clark replied, surprised by the gesture.

The mild-mannered reporter wasn't the only one surprised by Jason's action. Lois, too, was beyond shocked by her son's sudden attachment toward Clark Kent. Jason had always been welcoming by nature, but even with Richard, he was always a bit reserved. All of a sudden, her thoughts drifted to Superman, and she wondered if he was all right.

According to all the news reports she had been restlessly staring at all night and morning, he was everywhere in the city, helping the best he could. It wasn't until past midnight that Superman's presence had started to decrease, and she fully understood why.

The kryptonite was draining his strength, and she couldn't help but be amazed at how willingly he would put his own life in danger to help.

He and Richard were the same in so many ways. She had often cursed herself for ever falling in love with a man that reminded her so much of the other man she thought she had lost forever. Looking back on it, she felt ashamed of herself.

"Mommy, where are we going?" Jason asked.

Lois brushed her hand through his recently cut hair. "We're going to Smallville, sweetie," she answered in a low motherly voice.

Clark smiled as he watched the two from the corner of his eye.

"Where's Smallville?" Jason continued to ask.

"In Kansas!" Clark replied cheerfully.

Lois rolled her eyes at the overexcitement in her co-worker's expression. If he was like this in Metropolis, she could only imagine what he was like in his hometown. She sighed dreadfully. It was going to be a long weekend.

**To be continued…**


	8. Chapter 8

**Title**: Unmasked

**Author**: Nadia Mack

**Rating**: K

**Disclaimer**: I Own Nothing

**Author's Notes**: Thanks again for the feedback; your continued interest is what makes each chapter coming. Someone once asked if I knew how long this story was going to take, but I think saying so just takes away the anticipation. I'll try not to keep this going too long though, because I may run into the trouble of dragging the story, and I detest stories dragging. Constructive criticism is welcomed, and 99 of you are pretty honest and great on that front so thank you. I hope you like this next chapter, I have a habit of converging various canon into my stories, so perhaps you'll catch some of them. They're everywhere.

**Chapter 8: Smallville**

Frustration.

Undoubtedly, Lois had plenty of it. Nobody but her seemed inclined to hate the circumstances that have her traveling on a bus to a small town ironically called Smallville. Between the flight and the bus drive there, all she could see was endless fields of corn. How anyone could live here is beyond her.

Lois sighed; her thoughts getting the better of her while her two other companions remained blissfully unaware of her troubles. Jason sat in the middle, with Lois by the window seat and Clark by the isle. Clark was gracious enough to switch seats with her both times, and she's reminded back to their past and how easily it is not to be angry with him too long.

Fortunately, Jason was having a great time, doing nothing but talking to Clark about almost everything. To Lois's continued surprise, her co-worker had a lot more to say than she was ever used to him hearing. Every question her son asked, Clark took it head on knowledgeably with an easiness that seemed devoid whenever they were at the office.

Clark was soft-spoken yet earnest. Excited about answering Jason's question yet patient. Even the stuttering tendencies that normally described Clark Kent are gone.

Lois wondered momentarily what has become of her colleague until she brushed it aside, wondering herself why she was curious. Her growing interest with the farm boy wasn't helping her at all fix her fractured and confusing life, and continuing on those train of thoughts will only lead to further complications.

Then her thoughts drifted back to Richard. After she revealed her true relationship with Superman the night before the meteor shower, they were both careful not to bring it up again. After tiptoeing over the subject for the past several years, she knew he needed time to adjust, and a part of her believed that one of the reasons he supported the idea of her going to Smallville was to get some space between them.

Lois truly couldn't blame him for that. In her heart, she needed the distance as well. As much as she didn't want to hurt Richard any more than she already has, her greatest fear was her son, Jason, and how he would absorb the changes in his life if it came to that.

When he was born, she reluctantly enlisted her father's help throughout her pregnancy. The doctor that watched after her from the beginning all the way through Jason's birth and then his subsequent stay at the hospital afterwards served in Lois's family for a couple generations.

Lois knew if there was a doctor to trust, it was Dr. Stevenson. As soon as the first set of blood work came, she urged him to keep his findings confidential, and it was only when he first took a look at them that he finally succumbed to her request. Dr. Stevenson never asked for the truth, but she had a feeling he knew, and Lois was grateful all the same for his discretion.

In the end, he was a doctor, and his focus was solely to ensure the health and survival of mother and child.

Suddenly, her son's voice pushed her out of her thoughts.

"Look mommy! It's Smallville!" His arm was outstretched and his smile was as cute and wide as can be as he pointed to a sign a close distance away. _Welcome to Smallville. The Corn Capital of the World! _

"That's great, sweetie," she replied, hoping her feelings on this assignment didn't expose itself in front of her son.

Jason turned to Clark; his eyes were filled with excited wonder. Clark understood his anxiousness, and grinned at his reaction. Lois tried to ignore the looks that passed between her son and co-worker. It left her still amazed at how well Clark responds to children. It was a different sight of him, and it made her pleased in spite of her protests on the subject.

* * *

By the time Lois, Clark and Jason arrived at their hotel, the establishment was already booked to capacity. Smallville, Kansas was suddenly the place to be. Lois fumed, making Clark and Jason duck out from behind her to watch from afar. The front desk clerk was going to get it and neither of them wanted to be near Lois Lane whenever she's on fire. 

"What do you mean we're not listed? We made reservations!"

"I'm sorry, Miss Lane, but you're not listed here. It's possible that in your end – "

Lois cut her off venomously. "The Planet doesn't make mistakes. If we could make a flight out here, and then a ride out here, then there should not have been a problem getting a motel room here!"

Meanwhile, Clark pitied the young woman behind the counter. She looked like she wanted the ground to open up and swallow her whole. He knew what that was like, it happens to him all the time at the office, but scarcely when he's Superman.

"Mommy's upset."

Clark stuffed his hands in his pockets, rocking back and forth on his heels as he watched Lois giving the desk clerk the 3rd degree. "Yup!"

"Can't we stay with you, Mister Clark?"

All of the sudden, Clark dropped his head and stared at Jason surprisingly. It never occurred to him that he could actually bring Lois and Jason to the farm. His mind was so set on the assignment and getting to spend time with Lois and Jason that he'd forgotten all about his childhood home.

Clark hesitated. "I don't… I'm not sure, Jason."

"Why not?" Jason replied sadly, and Clark wondered if that's how his face used to look like whenever he couldn't get something from his mom and dad when he was little. Jason had this puppy dog eyed look that was practically impossible to refuse.

"Um…" Clark cleared his throat, and when he thought about it further he really didn't have anything else to lose. His mother was still in Montana, and his spaceship was buried beneath several meters of dirt. Perhaps it wouldn't be such a bad idea. "I'll go ask your mom."

"Yes!" Jason replied excitedly.

* * *

"No!" Lois said angrily. "You're going to go back into that system, and find us a room. I don't know how you guys do things here in the country, but in the city, we always – " 

"Excuse us," Clark interrupted, grabbing a hold of Lois's arm and turning her around. The desk clerk sent a thankful smile his way. "I have an idea," he said almost cautiously.

"What?" Lois asked, annoyed by the disruption. If she couldn't get a room, she would at least satisfy herself by giving the hotel staff a terrible time; and worry about their rooming situation later.

"My house is not too far out of town, you and Jason are welcome to stay there with me, and you'll have all the privacy you need unlike here," he pitched with remarkable ease. "Besides, this place is filled with enough out-of-towners, you and Jason would probably be more comfortable away from here anyway."

Lois didn't know whether to be angry or thankful for his intrusion. Behind her steely gaze, she didn't really want to deal with all the things associated with motels and the protocols that go with it, especially when other reporters and various other folks are cramming up the place. Inevitably, Clark's offer seemed like heaven.

"Okay, you win," she decided, her pride cracking. "We'll have to go right now, though. It's been a long day, and I want to make sure Jason gets some food in his stomach and take all his medicine before we proceed to the disaster sites."

"Fair enough," Clark smiled, and it caught Lois off guard because it lacked the goofiness she normally saw it with.

Shaking her head, Lois reached out for Jason, and he skipped along happily, grabbing a hold of Clark's hand again like he did at the office. Lois couldn't shake the feeling of comfort and familiarity the mere sight of it gave her, and that, frankly, didn't set well with her. She has enough problems to deal with.

* * *

When they pulled into the driveway, the sight before her was exactly what Lois Lane has pictured farm life to be. The stone dirt road. The crusty red barn. The wooden fences the separated the farm from the fields. Even the yellow golden retriever that came running out of the house didn't surprise her. 

"It's a dog!" Jason yelped excitedly. He unbuckled his seat belt as soon as the car came to a halt and quickly exited the vehicle.

"Jason, sweetie!" Lois called after him. "Be careful!"

"Don't worry, Lois. Shelby won't hurt him."

Lois quirked an eyebrow as she unbuckled her own seat belt. "Shelby?" Clark offered to drive but she insisted on doing it herself. Unbeknownst to him, it helped her from thinking of anything else other than driving and the assignment at hand.

Clark shrugged. "My mom named her after her childhood dog. I couldn't argue."

Lois chuckled, and he was glad of it. "You never cease to surprise me, Kent," she admits absentmindedly, stepping out of the driver's seat. Even if she didn't make her comment out more than what it was, Clark was thrilled by the compliment. They were too few and far between.

"Nice house," Lois observed.

"Thank you." Clark personally let out a sigh of relief, thankful that the farm was unharmed by the meteor fall. Ben Hubbard's family had told his mother that the farm was still in tact, and in turn, she told him, but the worry didn't fade until he finally saw it with his own two eyes.

At the front porch, Lois and Clark could hear giggles of laughter and they looked back to see Jason playing wildly with Shelby, the Kent family dog. "Look, mommy!" Jason yelled for his mother's attention. "He listens to me!" Jason said 'sit' and the dog sat.

The two adults chuckled at the memorable scene before them. Lois had been allergic to dogs when she was a child, but outgrew it when she grew older. She worried Jason would have the same affect so she and Richard made it a point not to bring any pets with fur home for Jason. She was relieved to see that her one allergy didn't get passed onto her son.

"Let's leave the bags here for the moment," Clark said. "I want to show you around the house, and maybe even make something for lunch. Are you up for sandwiches or spaghetti?" Then he realized… "Can Jason eat spaghetti?"

Lois couldn't help but smirk at him.

"You can actually cook?"

Clark smiled, and then nodded sheepishly. "I'm all right," he replied, becoming not at all comfortable with the sudden attention Lois was giving him. He led her up the front steps and opened the door.

"And don't you lock your doors?" she inquired, her mind taking in every detail. It's a work hazard that comes even at the most inopportune moments.

"We're a small town," Clark said, giving the only answer he could.

"Right." Lois was proud of herself, she didn't roll her eyes. She glanced back to her son, who was far too occupied making new friends than to notice her.

"He'll be all right," Clark assured, holding the door open for her as Lois smiled graciously.

She didn't know what to expect as the afternoon wore on. From the moment they drove into Smallville, Lois knew that they weren't going to get any solid work done immediately, so they decided to take a few hours off in the afternoon, starting with lunch.

"Mmm…" the smell of freshly cooked spaghetti sauce invaded her senses. "All this time, I didn't even know you could cook. If I had, I would've taken advantage of your culinary abilities years ago," she commented, helping to set the table.

Clark wished he could've showed her years ago as well, but he squashed his feelings of regret quickly. He wanted to avoid spending the next two days in his own private pity party. He just wanted to appreciate the time he gets to spend with Lois and Jason, even though his heart breaks that neither knew just how much this weekend means to him.

"Is this you?" she asked, picking up a framed photo of Clark when he was a kid after she set the last plate down. It was the first time she ever got to see him without his glasses on, and his smile oddly reminded her of someone else's. "You look very handsome." He must've been at least four years old in the picture.

"Uh… yeah," Clark answered a bit shyly. "That was taken after my parents brought me home."

Lois looked at Clark confused by his answer. "What'd you do, break a leg?" she asked with a grin.

Clark laughed, and Lois reluctantly decided that it looked really nice on him.

"No, actually, it was taken after they adopted me."

Lois's mouth fell slightly open at the fact she wasn't aware of. "You're adopted?" she questioned further, something she's been avidly doing since they started this whole trip. When he nodded, she felt an awful sense of disappointment in herself for not knowing something so important about him. "We've known each other for years, but I never knew you were adopted."

"It's okay," Clark said, in his trademark way to appeal to others. "I barely really notice, and it's not something I talk about." He moved to another frame and showed it to her. "That's my parent's."

Early in their professional relationship, Lois has always been aware of her co-worker's crush on her. And while she never encouraged him or led him on, she welcomed his shy and often happy manner. She rarely ever saw him sad, but now she had to admit, there was a difference between appearing happy, and feeling it. Clark was really the only person she's ever met that never asked for anything in return and she cursed herself for not taking an active interest in her friend's life.

"They look like good people," she commented, looking between the husband and wife. They looked so happy. In love. Something she always said couldn't be accomplished but inwardly wished would happen to her one day.

"They're the best people I've ever known."

While Clark lost himself in the memory of having both his parents, Lois couldn't help but look closer at the man she thought she knew fairly well. When he first got back, she described her fiancée in short detail whereas she couldn't even think of even one fact about Clark. Thinking back on it, she was even more ashamed of herself and wondered why, after being so insensitive to him for so many years, did he still bother to be her friend?

Clark Kent was almost too good of a man, just like Richard White. It dawned on her now that the situation has become impossible to resolve.

"We should start eating before the food gets cold," Clark said, and Lois, after her quiet reflection, made a promise to herself to make more of an effort to really get to know Clark Kent.

After a deeper look, he really wasn't all that bad.

**To be continued…**


	9. Chapter 9

**Title: **Unmasked

**Author: **Nadia Mack

**Disclaimer: **I Own Nothing

**Rating: **K+

**Author's Notes: **I'd like to thank Barbara, aka htbthomas, for becoming my beta-checker and reader for the duration of this story. I understand that many of you have pointed out my often misuse of tenses, a failing, I admit, that I totally want rectified. Thanks again for the feedback and I hope you continue to enjoy the upcoming chapters.

**Chapter 9: Sightseeing **

Picture perfect. That's what Lois saw when she stepped out on the porch and watched the sun set off the horizon. The mixture of colors was so beautiful; it was as if it came straight out of a dream.

A shiver went up her spine. She'd forgotten how easily the nighttime air could turn cold after the daytime sun had disappeared.

"Coffee. Black. Two sugars," Clark listed off as he joined Lois on the steps. She sent him a thankful smile before taking the cup of hot coffee from his hand.

"You remembered." She took a sip.

"We've worked too many nights for me to forget," he said with a jovial smile.

Lois didn't say anything else afterwards. To be honest, she didn't know what to say. It was almost as if her co-worker suddenly had gone through a personality change, and talking to him seemed like talking to somebody new. He was sweet, caring, polite and shy just as she had always known him, but now, away from Metropolis, there was something different about him. Like he was finally relaxing in his own skin. It was too bad, because she enjoyed this part of him.

Crack! The sound of something breaking inside the barn interrupted her thoughts. Lois and Clark gave each other worried looks before sprinting over. When Lois burst inside, her eyes widened with concern when she spotted her son besides a broken post.

"Lois, what happened?" Clark said from behind, startling her.

Lois opened her mouth to explain, but she didn't know how. She knew it was a risk bringing Jason along, but she also knew there was an even greater risk if she left him alone with a babysitter.

"Hmm…" Clark responded, looking over the broken post that was half a foot in length on all four sides. He kneeled before Jason, "You've got to be careful, Jason. The foundation here is pretty old," he said with a wink. Clark glanced over his shoulder to face Lois. "Don't worry, he wasn't hurt. I'll be fixing this place up as soon as I get the time."

Lois dashed towards her son and picked him up. "Don't scare me like that," she whispered, relieved that Clark didn't think anything of it.

Over her shoulder, Jason smiled at Clark as he hugged his mom a little tighter.

* * *

"I just got off the phone with Perry," Lois said as she joined Clark in the living room. Jason had fallen asleep on Clark's lap after watching The Lion King on television. The sight of them both warmed her heart. "He's a little bit upset that we haven't gotten to work yet."

"I'm sure he'll forget all about it once you put another Pulitzer-winning article on his desk."

"Yeah right!" she scoffed softly at the idea. Deep inside, it still didn't sit well with her that she had won a Pulitzer for an article titled 'Why the World Doesn't Need Superman.' She had written it at a time when her anger and pain had been overflowing.

"I made a few calls of my own, though," Clark said much to Lois's surprise. Where did he even get the time to make any calls between cooking, hosting guests and playing with Jason? "We can stop by this coffee shop I know in town called The Talon, if you want."

"What's over there?"

"Most of the town," he answered with a familiar grin.

She suddenly felt too tired to argue. "Sounds like a plan." She sat down near Jason's feet. "Look, Clark," she began hesitantly. "This might be coming a little too late, but I just wanted to tell you thanks for everything you've done. For me, and for Jason." She reached out and brushed some of her son's bangs from his forehead. "And for putting up with me all these years."

"It's no trouble at all," he replied so sincerely that it made Lois believe him without question. Her eyes started getting heavy, ready for a night's sleep. "Here." He slowly and carefully lifted Jason's head, sliding his arm underneath his small body as he picked him up. "I'll put him to sleep over in my old bedroom. I've put some sheets out for you in my mother's room too so you can – "

She cut him off. "What about you?"

"I'll take the couch."

" Clark – " she began to protest but he would have none of it.

"Get some sleep, Lois."

"You suck, you know that?" she said with a soft chuckle. Lois normally didn't back down, even with the smallest and most mundane things, but she found herself agreeing to him a lot more than she cared to realize. "Goodnight, Clark."

"Goodnight, Lois."

When he disappeared up the stairs, the sound of Clark's voice when he bid her goodnight sounded eerily similar to Superman's before sleep claimed her. She didn't even realize, up until she dozed off, that was the first time she had thought of Superman all evening.

* * *

Setting him on his bed, Clark looked at his son with all the love in the world. Seeing him tucked in and asleep in his old bed brought out his lingering feelings of remorse and longing. Guilt for leaving when everything that had ever truly mattered to him was here on earth, and longing for what could've been.

After letting himself look over his son a few moments longer, he headed back downstairs. He stopped dead in his tracks when he noticed that Lois had fallen asleep on the sofa.

Clark smiled, also taking a moment to look at her before picking her up slowly and carefully in his arms. She mumbled softly, turning her head to his chest as she lay comfortably in his arms. He sighed, knowing this would probably be the last time he would hold her like this, and the only time he would as Clark and not Superman.

* * *

He laid her down in his mother's room, draping a blanket over her as she continued to sleep. His longing returned, and all he could do was watch her. To have her so near but not to be able to have her, it was almost too much to bear.

"You are so beautiful," he said softly to her sleeping form. "I'll always love you Lois." He leaned over and placed a light kiss on her forehead. "I'll never stop."

When he left the room, Lois turned, still sleeping, uttering but a single word.

"Superman."

* * *

The following morning, the three finally traveled across town to see the devastation the meteors had left behind. Several Smallville establishments in the surrounding area had been demolished, debris everywhere. Remarkably, although plenty had been injured, no one had died.

Clark started to weaken as the car moved closer to ground zero. He hid his weakening hands in his coat pockets as Lois continued to drive.

"This is the place all right. Jason, I want you to stay in the car this time."

"Do I have to?" Jason complained. He was unaffected by the Kryptonite but Lois didn't want to take any chances. She would have thought after the incident on the Gertrude, he would be happy to stay.

She gave him an authoritative look. "Yes. Clark and I have work to do." She looked at Clark. "Are you coming?"

"I… uh… sure."

Lois frowned. All morning, he had been acting like the Clark she knew from the office again, timid and indecisive, and she had finally come to the conclusion, to herself of course, that she didn't really like his office demeanor much.

"Let's go."

Clark stepped out of the car, offering Jason a weak smile before joining Lois as they neared the crater. There were people everywhere, working together to clear the town and roads of all the meteor fragments.

"That's interesting," Lois said beside him.

"What?" he managed to ask.

Lois pointed to the logo on several trucks parked around the site. "Wayne Enterprises," she said. "I wonder what strings they had to pull to get their teams out here."

Unaware of Clark's connection with the oft-described playboy billionaire, Clark sighed gratefully for Bruce's quick thinking. He had teams, both official and unofficial, scouring Metropolis, Central City and Smallville for all the Kryptonite they could find. Bruce didn't want to take the chance that some punk kid or criminal mastermind could make off with the only material that could kill Superman.

By the time Clark turned back around, Lois was already interviewing several people about everything that had occurred since the meteor shower. She had always loved to tackle things head on, and that was just one of many qualities that made him love her so much.

The longer he stayed near the Kryptonite the more his hands began to shake involuntarily. He struggled slightly to get away.

"Lois… um… I'm going to go see how Jason is doing."

Before she could argue or stop him, Clark quickly made it over to the car. Jason noticed his friend's weary state.

"Are you okay, Mister Clark? You don't look so good."

"I'll be fine," he lied. Clark wasn't 'doing good' at all.

"Mister Clark…"

Clark started to hurt and the shaking of his hands had not improved when Lois joined them.

" Clark, what are you doing here?" she asked, exasperated. "I need you out there, and seeing that this is, in fact, your town, I'd appreciate a little more effort from you." It was then she noticed how pale her partner looked. "Smallville, are you all right?"

Clark smiled weakly. "That's the second time in two days you've called me that."

Lois shrugged. "Old habits die hard," she returned, putting the back of her hand on his forehead. He felt hot. "You don't look so good."

"That's what I said!" Jason chimed in, equally worried.

"Come on, sweetie," Lois said to Jason after she spotted the coffee house Clark had previously mentioned. The Talon. "Let's go inside, the heat must be getting too much for Clark here."

Clark couldn't have agreed more, and he would act like a fool if he had to if it kept him from dying in the middle of the town. "That sounds like a plan," he gasped.

Inside the Talon, Clark began to look and sound better. Unfortunately, much to Lois's dismay, his timid shyness was out in full force as he clumsily searched for something to drink on the menu.

Just a few tables away, Jason quickly made friends with a local boy who looked a couple or so years older than him.

Some minutes later, Jason's new friend collided with Lois and Clark's booth.

"I'm sorry," the young boy apologized.

"It's all right," Clark said as he looked over at Lois who was laughing. He glanced at her playfully before returning his attention back to the boy.

"My name is Clark!"

Both Lois and Clark raised their eyebrows.

"Oh yeah?" Clark said with a smile. "Mine too."

"Really?"

" Clark, leave those people alone. How many times do I have to tell you, this isn't the place to be running around in?"

The adult Clark immediately recognized the red-haired woman who had just descended the stairs.

"Lana?"

"Oh my God, Clark," she spoke softly before closing the distance between them. The two old friends embraced. "I didn't know you were back." Lana took a good look at him. "Wow, you look great. The city's done wonders for you -- but I think I prefer you in plaid."

A scoffing sound nearby drew their attention away. Lois looked between the two of them unabashedly.

"I'm not the plaid-loving type," Lois said without a trace of sensitivity. Across the room, Jason heard his mother and looked down at his own plaid shirt. Why, if she didn't like it, did she buy them for him?

" Lois Lane." She held out her hand to the other woman. "And you are?"

"Lana Lang." The ladies shook hands, albeit reluctantly.

Clark swallowed hard. Interactions between women always had a way of eluding him. Consciously interrupting the intense gazes of the two ladies, he inquired about little Clark.

"Is he…"

"My son," Lana replied happily. "Yeah he is."

"Oh… wow… congratulations."

Clark's response amused Lois to no end.

"Thanks. I kind of… um… named him after you."

"Oh."

Lois was as surprised at that as anyone else was.

" Clark Kent," another voice came in. The three adults turned and saw a blond, well-dressed man approach. "My God, I thought my eyes were deceiving me. Big shot reporter Clark Kent. It's good to see you, man!"

The two old friends shook hands before giving each other a hug.

"Pete Ross," Clark finally said, shocked himself to be greeted by his old friend. "I take that back. I mean, Congressman Pete Ross. You're not looking too bad yourself."

Lois cleared her throat to get her partner's attention, which she successfully acquired.

"Oh, Pete. I'd like you to meet Lois Lane."

Pete happily greeted her. "I know who you are. I'm a big fan," he said with genuine affection. "Off the record, your articles have helped us more than once to make a decision. It's a pleasure to finally meet you."

Lois didn't expect to hear those words from a politician, especially a congressman. She tended to give his party a very hard time, especially when it came to her politically slanted articles.

"It's a pleasure to meet you too, congressman. Clark has told me absolutely _nothing_ about you," she said, ending the line with a glare toward Clark.

Clark winced a bit at the emphasis she applied to the word 'nothing.'

For half an hour, Lois learned that Lana and Pete were married, and that their eight-year-old son was named after Clark. After the initial awkwardness of learning that particular fact, Clark gave his thanks. Lois watched the three friends as another puzzle fit into place in her mind concerning her partner's oddly secretive world. She was surprised, to say the least, that he was the best friend of congressman Pete Ross, a man dubbed by many to be well on his way to the presidential seat.

"That was… unexpected," Lois commented as Pete and Lana left their table.

"What do you mean?" Clark asked.

"The look on your face when you learned he was named after you, it kind of gave the impression that you two were once…" she waited for him to answer.

"We kind of were."

Unwanted jealously quickly flashed inside her before she could quench it. "You want to tell me about it?" Lois asked even though she really didn't want to know. She reminded herself that she was asking only because of her promise to get to know more about him.

"During high school, I spent so long wanting to be with Lana that by the time we did get together, it wasn't the same. I had so many expectations that – " Clark couldn't finish it without sounding like a jerk.

"Ouch!" Lois said, liking his answer but putting her best sympathetic face on. "I'm sorry." That, she really meant. Disappointment was a way of life, and it could be cruel some times.

"Looking back on it, I'm not," Clark replied in earnest.

Lois smiled, she didn't know how she did, but she knew he was completely sincere. Before her thoughts could drift too far off course, she went back to the task at hand. "Let's get out of here, Perry expects our story on his desk first thing Monday morning."

Clark put on a brave face, hiding his worry about all the Kryptonite around the area. He hoped that Bruce's team had taken care of most of it.

"You ready, Smallville?"

Clark smiled. He always held a fondness for that nickname. Once she turned away, his smile faltered.

"What am I doing?" he said quietly to himself.

**To be continued…**


	10. Chapter 10

**Title**: Unmasked

**Author**: Nadia Mack

**Rating**: K

**Disclaimer**: I Own Nothing

**Summary**: Post Superman Returns. Behind the hero is a man longing to be free.

**Author's Notes**: Thanks again to Barbara for her extroadinary grammar-checking abilities. I'd seriously be lost without her. I'm gonna take this moment and pimp her story, Deja Vu. It's fantastic, so if you haven't read it yet, you're losing out. Also, thanks again for all the feedback. Some of them make me laugh, others encouraged me to get a beta, and every one of them makes me smile. So thank you.

**Chapter 10**: Change

In Metropolis, Richard went over several piles of notes he had compiled during his trek across the city the day before. He was searching for an angle to present his uncle Perry but his mind was focused elsewhere, and it refused to be directed anywhere else.

"Something bothering you, son?"

Richard looked up at his uncle and shook his head. "I'm just finishing it up here."

Perry, a keen observer, silently pulled out a chair and sat across from him. He wasn't about to give his nephew a free pass, especially not now, when he looked like hell.

"Really, Uncle Perry, I'm fine."

Perry nodded his head knowingly, giving his nephew some time to collect his thoughts until he decided to share what was bothering him. Perry had known him most of his life, and he knew for a fact that he didn't like sharing his problems with anyone else.

"Uncle Perry?"

Perry smiled – he had won this round. He answered, "Yes?"

"How well do you know Clark?"

Perry looked at him with a quizzical eyebrow raised. "Pretty damn well. He's a good kid – don't let his farm-boyish ways get to you. He's brought in some of the best work I have ever seen from a journalist." He paused when he realized what he had just said. "I trust that my words won't leave this office."

Richard forced a smile. "Sure thing, boss."

"Anyway, even though Kent has a habit of never being around when you _want_ him, he has the uncanny ability of being there when you _need_ him."

Richard leaned over his desk and sighed. His uncle's description of Clark wasn't making him feel any better. "See that's just it. Lois has never mentioned him, and I found out just yesterday that he used to be her partner. I can't help but wonder what he's all about."

Perry took his time answering. "I'm not one to spread office gossip, but if you want my personal opinion… I just think that he's shy. What matters though, is that when push comes to shove, the kid has backbone. With the exception of him leaving for several years, he's never let me down when it comes to a story."

"Where did he go, anyway?"

"How the hell should I know?" Perry shrugged. "I think I got a postcard from him with a llama on it." He looked at his nephew a little more carefully, noting the sadness and worry that clearly ran across his normally calm features. "But that's not what you really wanted to know, is it?"

Richard shifted uncomfortably behind his desk. It was sometimes easy to forget that his uncle had been a world-renowned reporter before becoming the Planet's editor-in-chief.

Richard treaded carefully. "You may not want to know what I want to know."

Perry challenged his statement. "Try me."

"Fine," Richard said, giving him a little more time to back out, but when he didn't, he knew he should just ask the question and get it over with. "Were Lois and Clark ever… you know…"

Perry sighed, expecting a lot of things but not _that_ particular thing.

"Do you think she's…"

"No!" Richard assured, knowing his fiancée wasn't the cheating type. Where her feelings lay though, was a totally different matter. "It's just she never talked about him and now I'm finding out that they were this great team."

Knowing that she loved Superman was hard enough; but finding out that Lois had also once been involved with Clark Kent would be even harder. Richard knew that Clark had been a part of her past, but he just couldn't shake the feeling that there was more below the surface than either let on.

"I'll be honest with you, Richard," Perry began, his voice strong yet soothing. "There was a time when I thought those two would get together."

Richard looked at his uncle with great surprise.

"You did?"

"Of course I did," Perry said, not looking the least bit guilty about telling his nephew this. It was, in fact, all in the past. "They made a great team; it was only natural that it could have become something more if he hadn't left."

Richard swallowed the lump in his throat and wished now he hadn't asked.

"Do you think Lois loves me?"

"What the hell kind of question is that?" Perry replied back, clearly astonished. "Are you and Lois having problems?"

"More or less," Richard revealed vaguely.

"And you think it has something to do with Kent?"

"Not exactly," he admitted.

Richard knew he wasn't being fair. Somehow, even though it wasn't rational at all, it felt easier to be angrier at Clark Kent than it was to be angry at Superman. At least with his co-worker, they were both on an even playing field – he wasn't competing against a God who could fly… and pick up continents… and share a child with the woman he loved.

* * *

Meanwhile, back in Smallville, Lois and Clark spent most of the evening going over their notes, typing out a few drafts and sorting through all the pictures they had taken during their venture into town while Jason watched television with Shelby.

"Remind me next time we go on an out-of-state assignment to pack Jimmy into one of our bags," Lois said, flipping through her below-average photos. There was a reason why destiny had made _her_ a reporter and _other_ people photographers.

"They're not bad."

Lois thought otherwise. "Says you."

From the corner of her eye, she spotted another photo that didn't look the same as the others. When she picked it up, she immediately knew why. It was a photo of her and Clark, taken inside the Talon. Jason had somehow ended up with the camera and had started clicking away.

Against her wishes, she smiled at the photo thoughtfully.

"Did you find something?"

Quickly, she hid it away in one of her notepads, her mind unsure of why she had done that. "No, nothing. They're all pretty lame, and I think this should serve as a reminder that I should never use a camera ever again when we're on duty."

Clark chuckled. "You're not _that_ bad." He picked up one photo that was slightly out of focus. "Look at it this way, they could've been worse."

Lois threw him a mock glare. "I appreciate your attempt to defend my honor, but even _I'm_ not arrogant enough to deny that I suck."

Clark raised his eyebrows.

"What?" she responded indignantly to his stare. "I can be humble!"

"I didn't say anything."

Her eyes narrowed, accompanied by a grin. "But you were thinking it."

"Mommy, look!" Jason spoke out loud, interrupting the lighthearted moment between Lois and Clark to direct them toward the television. It was a news update about what was going on in Metropolis.

Clark gulped at the sight of a huge meteor being picked up by a crane, shards of Kryptonite all over it.

"Be careful," Lois whispered.

"Huh?"

Lois looked at Clark with worried eyes. "Noth…" she started, but decided to be honest with him. "I'm worried about him, that's all."

Even though she didn't know that Superman was standing right beside her, he was thankful for her concern.

"I'm sure he'll be all right."

"He shouldn't have had to come home to this," Lois sighed painfully. She thought of her past with Superman… and was haunted by memories of the sight of him so vulnerable in his hospital room. Before either realized it, Lois had wrapped her arms around Clark's neck, her tears flowing unexpectedly down her cheek as he instinctively wrapped his own arms around her waist.

"It's going to be okay," Clark whispered to her softly, the feel of her in his arms exposing him to the greatest threat no Kryptonite could ever match.

On the couch, Jason looked between his mother and Mister Clark and his own tears fell. His mother didn't know that Clark Kent was Superman, and he could tell that Mister Clark was having a hard time not telling her. He wondered why he didn't. It would make his mother happy if Clark would just do it.

So like a child who was missing his mother, he moved off the couch and pulled on his mother's pant leg.

Lois, feeling embarrassed about her out-of-character breakdown, reluctantly released her arms from around Clark's neck. She picked up her son, holding him lovingly as he buried his head in her hair.

"I'm sorry, sweetie, I didn't mean to upset you."

"It's okay," Jason mumbled quietly.

Clark stood apart from the two, not wanting to intrude. Lois gave him a grateful smile over Jason's shoulder, mouthing a silent 'thank you' in the process. Clark's heart and mind filled with the sudden urge to tell her everything, knowing in his dreams this is how it ought to be, but he held back. This wasn't the time. Not when emotions were running so high.

Later that night, Lois couldn't sleep so she walked silently to check up on her son in Clark's room before quietly creeping down the stairs. In the darkness, she could see Clark's figure on the couch, his glasses resting on the side table. He lay on his stomach, his face hidden against the back cushions.

Clark was sleeping without his shirt on, and it caught her off-guard how well built his upper body looked, even with darkness shadowing most of it.

Taking one more breath, she stepped outside, closing the screen door softly as she walked from the front porch to the barn. Inside, she saw the post that was broken. Yesterday, it was splintered in half; today, it was newly fixed and she wondered when he had even had the time to do it.

Lois thought back to the moment when Jason had first exhibited his strength. She recalled being completely shocked; her son's fragile nature had always precluded any possibility that he would ever inherit his father's powerful gifts. She was thankful that it had manifested when her life had depended upon it, but she was worried about how that experience had affected her son.

So far, he had only shown a fear of touching his piano. Other than that, he remained a happy little boy and she wouldn't have had it any other way.

As soon as she stepped further inside the barn, she felt something creaking and hollow beneath her feet. When she looked down, she saw a latch and her insatiable curiosity took a hold of her, urging her to open it.

And so she did.

As she bent down, she felt the pull cord of a light above graze her cheek. She pulled it and as she adjusted her eyes to the light, her eyes widened and her jaw dropped at the sight of the massive number of Daily Planet issues scattered in numerous large piles across the room.

"Wow," she uttered.

Picking up one after another, she noticed that they were all addressed to a Martha Kent. Clark's mom. And as she searched from one tall stack to another, she noticed that the dates didn't go beyond six years ago. Practically five years worth of issues here, and Lois wondered what her use for it had been.

Then, on top of a chair nearby, she found her article, 'Why the World Doesn't Need Superman' spread open and her eyes darted away, ashamed. Even in the middle of nowhere in some dusty cellar, she couldn't escape it.

She removed the newspaper from the chair and sank down, taking a good look at the place.

There was more to Clark Kent than she had ever imagined. With one last breath, she stood up to leave when her night robe got caught on a cupboard. Bending down to release it, the door snapped open and a familiar red material fell through.

Her heart beat loudly in her chest, her mouth suddenly going dry as she realized that the fabric was also imprinted with a distinct yellow symbol. Pulling both doors to the cabinet open, her eyes fixed on the old red and blue suit she hadn't seen in almost six years.

**To be continued…**


	11. Chapter 11

**Title**: Unmasked

**Author**: Nadia Mack

**Rating**: K

**Disclaimer**: I Own Nothing

**Summary**: Post Superman Returns. Behind the hero is a man longing to be free.

**Author's Notes**: Wow. I'm totally floored. You all are _fantastic_ with the feedback. It's definitely encouraged me to write more and update daily. It's honestly hard for me to withhold the next chapter when you all have been very gracious. In addition, I'd like to clear up a few things. When Lois discovered the Superman suit, I referred to it as the original because in the movie, Perry White questioned if he got a new suit. So in this story, he wears an updated one, and considering Lois's history with Superman, she knows that outfit a lot more intimately than most. If you've got any questions pertaining to certain things, feel free to ask, I don't mind answering them at all, but please refrain from asking storyline details. This story is coming in fast and will be over even before I notice. Thank you all and again, and Barbara... you da bomb! My tenses are... er... ugh. There are no words that I can express how much I appreciate your help.

**Chapter 11**: Hero

Her heart skipped a beat as she ran her hand along the fabric, willing her mind to understand why and how this came to be here. She searched her memories and remembered that on several occasions Clark had beaten her to a couple of scoops. Naturally, he must have formed a friendship with the Man of Steel as well.

It was impossible, though – their reunion atop the Daily Planet roof had proved that. The only reason Superman had remembered Clark was because she had mentioned him.

No, there had to be another reason why these things were here. Her resolve was shaken when she caught sight of a leather bound album underneath his old red boots. Her mind argued that it was wrong, but her heart desired to know the truth. Once it was in her hands, she didn't know why, but she ended up opening it from the back first.

She noticed quickly what it was.

A scrapbook.

One after another, most, if not all the articles she had ever written on Superman was prominently displayed on each page. Photos of his heroic acts all over the world appeared powerfully with every article. If she had been a betting woman, she would have gone as far to say that Clark was just a really big fan, but when she flipped further into the album, something more amazing happened.

To say that she was floored would be an understatement.

For the first time since he had literally swept her off her feet, she questioned everything she had ever known about him. The first photo that caught her attention was a picture of Clark Kent without his glasses. A high school photo, perhaps? And next to it was a close-up photo of Superman that showed a remarkable likeness to Clark.

Lois gasped as the wheels in her head began to turn.

It couldn't be. Not after all these years, they couldn't be the same. She and Richard had made fun of the possibility, and she thought nothing of it, thinking it was just a mere coincidence. Putting aside her pain, she couldn't ignore the evidence. Everything that she had discovered: the original Superman suit, the album, all those times Clark would disappear and Superman would appear, the two men's secretive nature and the newspapers… Oh, God, the newspapers.

Superman had been gone for over five years; his mother must have kept all the issues for when he returned.

He has a mother?

Somehow it was hard to imagine Superman sitting down having a cup of coffee in one hand while he reads the newspaper in another. Yet he did.

And Jason.

A new set of tears began to fall as the truth hit her hard. Clark Kent is Superman. She couldn't deny that fact anymore. Clark Kent. Her friend. Her co-worker. The man that she was starting to care very deeply for was Jason's biological father.

Their son.

And another moment was remembered.

"_What aren't you telling me?" she asked._

"_There are things about me that you don't know about."_

_"What kind of things?"_

"_I'm not as different from people… from Richard… that people have come to believe."_

When the memory ended, a mix of emotions filled her and they alternated between anger and betrayal, stupidity and lack of foresight, and back to anger again. Above all, she felt pain. Never once did she suspect Superman to have another identity, and blindly assumed he never had one.

Isn't that one of the reasons why he never wore a mask?

But he did have a mask.

His glasses.

Or so she thought. What the hell kind of disguise was that? And how come she never saw past it?

Then she remembered how he acted at the office. The timid, shy, mild-mannered reporter who did his best not to be noticed – it all dawned on her perfectly. The bumbling attitude and lack of backbone had easily flown under her radar, and looking back on it, she couldn't honestly take all the blame for not noticing.

Even though she understood why he had done it to some extent, she couldn't forgive him.

Not yet, anyway.

* * *

By the time she got back to the house, she was lucky to find Clark still sleeping, but as soon as she caught sight of him, she knew she wasn't ready to confront all the questions that's been nagging in her mind. She thought she could handle knowing the truth, but seeing him there, asleep, it was so… human. She never had the chance to watch him sleep like that, especially after the nights they had spent together. He was always gone by the time she woke up.

Sitting down on a loveseat nearby, she couldn't tear her eyes away from him. When he stirred, she was almost compelled to leave but she didn't. She watched as he turned his body around, the muscles on his back disappearing, quickly replaced by his toned chest, and the face she thought she'd never see like this again.

Without his glasses, Lois finally saw the man she had fallen in love with so many years ago.

And the rest of the night was spent in his silent company.

Was love truly blind?

* * *

Clark grumbled when he felt the sun's rays hitting his eyes. It reminded him of all the early mornings he had to endure to get to school. He laid there for a few minutes until his super hearing picked up someone moving around in the kitchen. Scrambling to get up, he grabbed his glasses and darted in the direction of the slight noise.

"Morning," Lois greeted, pouring coffee in an extra mug on the kitchen counter.

Clark, who was fully awake, brushed his hand lazily through his hair as he slowly made his way to table. "Good morning, Lois." He sat down; his energy was back at full force after a good night's rest. The distance between him and the Kryptonite definitely helped as well.

"Sleep well?" she asked, making small talk.

"Uh… yeah." Clark stopped to look around. "Where's Jason?"

Lois looked away sadly. "He's still sleeping." No wonder Jason appeared so happy whenever he was with him, Clark treated him more than just his co-worker's son; he treated him like _his_ son. A son he couldn't openly acknowledge without revealing everything.

"So… um… what's our plan today?"

She hid a small smile at hearing him sound so unsure. Knowing what she knew of him, the semi-normal life he led before donning the iconic suit, it startled her how humble he appeared now that she was aware of the truth. Even though she was committing the very same act that she was angry at him for, she was content to play the part of the oblivious ex-girlfriend.

For the moment.

"Well, our bus ride isn't until 11 o'clock, so for the time being, we can all just relax." She reached for the old box-like radio and turned it on. As the song ended, there was a news brief. There had been an accident on Route 88 this morning, a multi-car pile up.

At the corner of her eye, she noticed Clark's back straightened after hearing the news and he looked… upset.

"Did they say if anybody was hurt?" he asked.

"No, it doesn't look like it."

He breathed out a sigh of relief, and it was then that she realized what kind of man Clark Kent really was. The fact that he was more than just a man would always put her in a state of awe one way or another, but it was his kindness and love, and his unwavering compassion toward those who might not even deserve it that took her breath away.

Especially now, when all was said and done, the hurt visible in his eyes whenever someone could have been hurt showed a great deal of his character.

"What do you say we spend the morning inside? You know, get to know one another a bit more."

The look of surprise on his face made her chuckle.

"Don't look so surprised, Smallville." She winked at him before leaving the kitchen to check on her son.

Clark stared blankly at the spot she had abandoned as if she had left an impression of herself there. She wanted to get to know him, and it filled him with surprising warmth and anticipation. Despite his need to protect and separate his identity, he found that allowing her into his simple life in Smallville gave him the hope and strength he needed to get through the day.

* * *

Lois descended the stairs with Jason in her arms. When the munchkin saw Clark in the living room, he immediately released his arms from his mother's neck and reached for Clark. "Morning, Mister Clark!"

It was the second morning in the row that Jason had preferred Clark's arms over hers, and if she hadn't found out who he was last night, she would've felt competitive about it. Now she couldn't help but be amused.

* * *

Clark waited until Lois placed Jason in his arms. He didn't want to appear rude even though Jason was in a hurry to switch places. While it comforted Clark to hold his son in his arms, he felt uncomfortable doing it without his mother's permission.

"What do you want to do this morning?" Clark asked.

Jason moved to whisper in his ear, making his mother roll her eyes at the display.

Clark already knew what the little guy wanted before he even had to say it. He couldn't help but grin widely after he was through, even before Clark moved to his little ear and whispered back his answer.

Witnessing this exchange was just too adorable for Lois to bear. "What are you two whispering about?"

Both father and son gave identical looks of pure ignorance, and it finally made sense why she had always thought her son's mannerisms oddly looked like Clark's every once in a while.

"Oh, forget it!" she said, giving the two a chance to bond over their secretive whispers. If she didn't know better, her son was probably requesting to go flying. Little did she know she wasn't far from the truth.

* * *

A couple of hours before they were scheduled to leave, Clark made the excuse of having to go to town for a couple of errands. Lois, knowing his secret, and also knowing that _he_ didn't know she knew his secret, tried not to roll her eyes. She couldn't be angry at him for excusing himself to save the world.

How many people could actually say that and get away with it?

So while he was off flying to some distant country to save people, it afforded her the time to speak with Jason privately.

She sat down next to him on the porch as he petted Shelby. The dog looked like he was in heaven. She couldn't blame him. She asked Clark yesterday why Shelby was all alone, and he mentioned something about his mother being in the process of moving to Montana while friends of the family would stop by on occasion to look after the remaining animals on the farm.

"Whatcha doing?" she asked softly.

"Spending time with Shelby."

"Ahh…" she joined in on the petting. "You like him, don't you?"

Jason nodded. "He plays with me when I want to, and then watches over me when I don't." He smiled down at the pretty dog before hugging him. Shelby barked his affections back. "He's nice!"

Lois laughed. "Maybe we can get you a dog when we get back home."

Jason frowned. "But I like Shelby!" he protested, the Lane part of him coming out. She was going to have to embrace and accept that inevitability before he became a teenager. "And I like it here," he added softly.

Lois smiled sadly, in a matter of a few days, he had grown a lot more attached to Clark than she had expected. But he was Clark, so the unexpected shouldn't have come as a surprise.

"You like Clark, too, huh?"

"Yeah!" he responded happily. "He's like daddy but more fun!"

Lois tried not to let his answer affect her. She hadn't thought of Richard at all since she had discovered the truth about Clark Kent. Knowing it just made everything that much more complicated. If Superman had ever thought of telling her, she was glad that he hadn't done so immediately after discovering that Jason was his.

That would've probably pissed her off.

* * *

The bus ride back to the Kansas Airport went a lot differently than the bus ride to Smallville had gone. As always, Jason sat between the adults while Lois had the window seat and Clark the aisle. This time though, she wasn't annoyed. She thanked the company she was keeping for that. She would've lost her mind if it hadn't been for these two.

Halfway through the ride, Clark ended up sitting in the middle with Jason on his lap as Clark began to act as their unofficial guide to Kansas' sights through the duration of the trip.

Clark clearly had Jason's rapt attention, while Lois was content to just watch the two, barely speaking for fear that she would break the magic that Jason and his father were displaying.

It really did warm her heart to see them getting along so well, so much that she even regretted leaving the small town. A part of her realized that Sup… No, Clark, would revert back to his shy self once they returned to Metropolis, and the thought upset her greatly. He had just as much to offer as Clark Kent as Superman did.

It was Smallville where she truly first caught a glimpse of the Clark he kept so carefully hidden from the world. He was charming in ways she didn't expect. She was even finally able to acknowledge that she was jealous of Lana and Pete for having the chance to know the real man behind the cape as opposed to one half of him before she did. Or in her case, a quarter of him.

Lois knew that there was no turning back. She was falling for him all over again, and this time, it wasn't the cape that attracted her to him…

…It was the glasses.

**To be continued…**


	12. Chapter 12

**Title**: Unmasked

**Author**: Nadia Mack

**Rating**: K

**Disclaimer**: I Own Nothing

**Summary**: Post Superman Returns. Behind the hero is a man longing to be free.

**Author's Notes**: Whew! The feedback for the previous chapter was pretty overwhelming. The pressure is on and I'm freaking out. lol Wish me luck. Thanks again Barbara for beta-checking this chapter, it's definitely no easy task and I wrote the thing.

**Chapter 12**: Metropolis

As soon as Jason spotted Richard, the little tyke ran up to him, leaving Lois and Clark in his wake. Clark awkwardly moved his hands behind the small of his back, his composure faltering as he tried not to look at the touching father and son reunion between Richard and Jason while Lois found herself almost unable to face either man. The look of defeat in Clark's eyes spoke volumes, and she cursed herself for having caused it. If only he had said goodbye, a part of her believed she could have waited. Now they would never know.

"So, did you have fun in Smallville?" Richard asked, giving his son one huge bear hug.

Jason nodded. "Yeah. I have a new friend, and his name is Shelby."

"Shelby?" Richard looked at Lois, and she saw for the first time since coming to the office that his eyes were incredibly tired. "Who's Shelby?"

"He's my dog," Clark piped up.

"I see."

"Can I have Shelby?"

Clark smiled but quickly hid it when he found Lois staring at him. At that moment, he heard sirens, and he was selfishly glad to step away from the family he had no part of. It hurt before, but after spending time with them back home, the pain amplified to the point of breaking him completely down.

"Oh… I… uh… forgot to um… feed my fish," Clark said, fumbling for lack of excuse.

Richard looked at him with raised eyebrows and Lois oddly looked like she was trying to hide a smile. And Jason, who was just happy to see everyone, didn't even notice the awkwardness that suddenly filled the air.

"Okay," Richard replied blankly.

"I'll see you later," Clark said to Lois before turning to Jason. "Bye!"

Jason waved. "Bye, Mister Clark!"

Richard turned to Lois. "What was that about?"

Lois shrugged. "He likes his fish," she replied, hiding her face behind a new edition of the Daily Planet's Monday paper.

As soon as Clark disappeared and everyone else wasn't paying attention to her, especially Richard and Jason, Lois thought over what just happened a few seconds ago and finally took the opportunity to roll her eyes.

'Feed my fish?'

_What was he thinking? _

She couldn't believe she used to fall for things like that: 'By the way, Lois, I forgot to pick up my clothes at the dry cleaners.' 'Sorry, Lois. I think I left the stove on.' 'I'll be right there, Lois. I left my wallet at my desk.'

She sighed; maybe keeping this to herself was a bad idea. It was unbelievable how a mere fact could change one's impressions so completely. Her life had never had this much clarity and confusion all rolled into one.

Lois shivered. She didn't know what was worse… knowing the truth, or hiding behind it.

* * *

On television, she watched Superman save a dozen lives on a damaged bridge. Frankly, it was all she had been doing all morning. Clark hadn't returned and she, for lack of wanting to do anything else, ended up absorbed in watching various news stations, hoping to catch a glimpse of him, wherever he might be.

Instead of working on her assigned task, her mind kept comparing notes between Clark and Superman.

All this time, people had described her as perceptive, quick on her feet, and an excellent investigative reporter. She prided herself in uncovering the secrets of dangerous people and corrupt politicians and using it against them… but none of that mattered now because in the end, the biggest secret of all was sitting right in front of her, and she had never noticed.

"Ugh!" she groaned, tossing her chewed pencil into her waste bin as she dropped her head atop her desk with a loud thud.

"You all right?" Richard whispered in her ear from behind. His hands made their way to her tense shoulders and began to massage them.

Thankful, but no less relaxed, she stood up and looked at him apologetically. "I'm gonna go get some air."

Dejected, he asked, "Do you want some company?"

"No, it's okay. I won't be long."

"You sure?"

"Yeah." Lois gave him a light kiss on the lips. "I'll be back."

Richard watched her walk away, and he knew that his life, their future, was slipping away and he wondered if she had even noticed.

* * *

Superman flew high above the clouds, relishing the feel of his powers now that most of the Kryptonite from the meteor fall has been removed. He was flying toward Wayne Manor to thank his friend personally. It had been a while since they had actually had a decent conversation.

Landing beneath the cover of the trees, he entered the forest outside Wayne Manor as Superman and exited into the open space as Clark Kent. When he reached the back steps, a little girl ran out with Alfred chasing her from behind.

Clark laughed softly at the sight. "You're not going to let her beat you, are you Alfred?"

Catching his breath, Alfred cut Mistress Helena at the impasse and tossed her in the air playfully.

"Of course not, Master Kent!" Alfred replied with mock British indignation. "I wouldn't dare."

"Don't listen to him, Clark." Bruce appeared from another exit. "She puts us all to shame." They shook hands as always. "It's good to see that the events of the last few days haven't worn you out."

"Thanks to you," Clark said, very appreciative.

Bruce shrugged the compliment off good-naturedly. "It was nothing." He moved to Alfred and took Helena into his arms, wanting to properly introduce her to one of his closest friends. "Princess, I'd like you to meet a very good friend of mine."

"'Kay," she replied shyly, hiding her face underneath her father's side pocket by trying, but failing, to lift it. "Hi," she added meekly.

"Hi Helena," Clark said with a wide smile and a kind, soft-spoken voice. "It's nice to meet you."

Helena giggled.

"She's beautiful, Bruce." Clark lightly touched her shoulder and noted the similarities that were obvious between father and daughter. "How old is she?" When he had learned that Lois was a mother, that sent him through various degrees of shock, but learning that Bruce Wayne was a dad, too, well that was… almost unbelievable.

"She just turned three." Bruce shifted her over to his other arm, giving his right a rest. "She gets a little shy with newcomers, but after a while, she can be quite the handful. Just ask Alfred."

"I can imagine."

"What about you? I heard you went back to Smallville. How did that go?"

Clark sighed. "It wasn't what I expected."

"I hope that actually means good."

Clark didn't answer.

They walked into the house with Helena still in Bruce's arms. Clark was glad for his friend. The last five years appeared to have been good to him. The last time they had seen each other, he was filled with unchanneled anger and drive. Fatherhood had mellowed him out considerably, and he fit the role well. He wished he could say the same about himself.

With fatherhood in mind, Clark asked Bruce if he had found anything out about Jason that could help them understand his frailty. Before Bruce answered him, he gave Helena to Alfred.

"I'm glad you asked that."

They moved to the library where Bruce opened up a secret door to a newly built elevator. Several stories down, Clark and Bruce exited into a dark open space, and in a matter of seconds, it was illuminated with bright fluorescent light situated in certain areas. Clark wasn't at all surprised; the place looked befitting for a man referred to as the Dark Knight.

"I did a background check on Jason's primary physician, it seems like Miss Lane's relationship with Doctor Stevenson has existed before she was even born."

"So we can trust him?"

"As far as I can discover, he's the only one who has access to these files—"

"With the exception of you," Clark cut off.

Bruce sent him a wry grin and held back a retort. "So back to the subject," he began once more. "The handwriting matches, so I think it's safe to assume that he did the blacking out himself. It's more than possible that he knows something irregular about Jason's blood work and my best bet is that he's keeping it confidential." He paused. "I did even more digging... I sort of borrowed Jason's inhaler."

"Why?" Clark asked, curious.

"Because it seemed a far more convenient way to obtain what I needed than asking for a blood sample."

Clark nodded. "I see your point."

"Okay, so I ran his DNA through the system and charted it…" Bruce typed in a few keys and the screen displayed various results. "Here's what we got." He paused. "What do you see Clark?"

"Uh…" Clark crossed his arms as he stared at the screen intensely. "My knowledge of genetics is a bit rusty," he remarked sarcastically. "What am I looking at, Bruce?"

"Chromosomes," Bruce replied simply. "Look at the screen to your left." Clark followed his instruction. "Humans have 23 pairs of chromosomes, but Jason has…"

"Twenty four," Clark realized.

"Bingo!"

"Then what does the extra pair do?"

"Well…" Bruce took a deep breath as if preparing for the big finish. "It's supposed to make him superfast, superstrong, superintelligent… basically, almost like you."

"What do you mean _supposed _to?"

"Jason is half human, and my knowledge of Kryptonian biology is a bit rusty, too, you know." Clark ignored him so Bruce continued. "Bottom line, it looks like his dormant Kryptonian genes are finally awakening. I ran every test I could logically think of. The sample I got from his inhaler alone shows that his cells are dividing fifty times faster than humans, meaning he heals almost instantly."

That last bit caught Clark's attention. "So he's going to be okay?"

Bruce sighed. "Were you paying attention at all?"

"I just want to make sure that he's going to be fine." Now all he had to figure out was how to mention this to Lois without alarming her.

Bruce was sympathetic to his situation so he avoided overdoing the quips today in regard to his good friend. "It'll only be a matter of time before he stops using his medications completely. Inhaler included." He stopped a considered another thought. "Has his mother mentioned to you any abilities that he might have?"

"Yeah," Clark answered, remembering back to their conversation. "On the Gertrude, she said that Jason threw a grand piano clear across the room."

Bruce whistled his astonishment, his ego slightly bruised. "I wish I could do that."

Clark shook his head and chuckled. "Don't you have enough toys to help out?"

"One can never have enough toys," Bruce refuted with a straight face. "Anyway, all joking aside, I think your kid is gonna be okay."

Clark blinked at the sound of his words. It was strange to hear it out loud and yet liberating to know that he wasn't the only one, along with his mother, who could openly speak of Jason's true paternity without fear of the repercussions.

"Does her fiancée know?"

Clark darted his eyes away, his reaction answering Bruce's question. Thinking about Lois and her family just brought back all the regret and lost dreams. Sometimes, thinking of Jason was enough, but most of the time, he couldn't get Lois out of his mind. She was too much a part of him to let even a memory of her fade away.

"Thanks for everything Bruce, but I think I'm going to head out now."

"Can't you stay for dinner or something? In case you haven't noticed, I'm trying to get my daughter to like you so when I need to work; I can call you at all hours of the day to baby-sit when Alfred can't. I think the poor man is exhausted but he refuses to tell me."

Despite everything, Clark had to laugh.

Fatherhood was good for him.

"All right," he conceded. When the two headed back upstairs, Clark reached carefully for Helena and nestled her small frame in his arms. Dreams of holding Jason like this when he was smaller entered his mind, and reminded him poignantly of all that he had lost and would lose if he didn't tell Lois everything.

Clark hoped that once he did, she wouldn't hate him.

**To be continued…**

- Information about the whole chromosomes thing was something I got out of a movie. It's not my idea, but it worked right with how I wanted to explain Jason's condition. It may not be scientifically correct, but since this is fictional, exceptions can be made. Thank you!


	13. Chapter 13

**Title**: Unmasked

**Author**: Nadia Mack

**Rating**: K

**Disclaimer**: I Own Nothing

**Summary**: Post Superman Returns. Behind the hero is a man longing to be free.

**Author's Notes**: Thank you all for the continued feedback. It's a pleasure to know you're all liking it. Also, I'd like to thank Barbara, yes again, for going back to the previous chapters and beta-reading those for me. I'll let you know when each previous chapter has been completed.

**Chapter 13**: Shift

Late in November, Lois Lane embarked on her most ambitious idea ever. Thanksgiving dinner, and _without_ ordering take-out. She had a list of people in mind to invite, certain co-workers and family members. It was relatively a big event at the office because she hardly participated in these sorts of shindigs, let alone hosted them.

In one day's time, everyone she cared about would arrive in her and Richard's home. Perry, Jimmy, Lucy, her husband Ron and their two children… and Clark. Yes, they were all invited. It wasn't a big group, but they mattered. She even tried to get a hold of the general with little success. He was off to Washington D.C. to take care of something that probably had the words 'top' and 'secret' implicit in the assignment. It didn't matter to her either way, she was used to her father's lack of attendance so the loss didn't faze her anyway.

Richard, on the other hand, had remained steadfast in his commitment to his family even after she had told him the truth about her relationship with Superman, but the obvious strain between the engaged couple since Superman's return didn't go unnoticed by their fellow co-workers at the Planet.

Lois attempted many times to assure Richard that she loved him, but no matter how hard they were trying to be the couple the world thought they were, the love and stability they once shared together had been replaced by guilt and failure. Tomorrow night's get together was just another way for them to try and rebuild their crumpling relationship.

In addition to their trials, her growing attraction and appreciation for another co-worker had put her in a state of perpetual unease, and perhaps that was one of the reasons why she was trying to make her relationship with Richard work. She grew to understand Clark better simply by observing him, and she wondered more than a few times if this was how it was going to be between them from now on. She continued to feign ignorance of his double life only because her pride wouldn't allow her to confront him. If he wanted her to know he was Superman, he had better have the guts to tell her himself.

Tonight, before the festivities of the next day, Lois opted for take-out one last time before she threw herself upon the mercy of the kitchen. She searched for her carton of shrimp when she noticed too late that Jason was already eating out of it.

"Jason!"

Startled, Richard looked over the kitchen island and spotted Jason chewing his food. The two adults rushed to his side, urging him to spit it out. Jason simply shook his head.

"Buuut I… am… fin… iiinne!" Jason said with his mouth full. He swallowed the remaining contents of his mouth and smiled triumphantly at his mom and dad. He opened his mouth and then closed it. "See!"

Lois gaped at her son. The sight of him eating something that only a month ago, he had been dangerously allergic to, put her mind into a state of overdrive and fear. She made a mental note to give Dr. Stevenson a call and ask his medical opinion on the matter. If there were anymore surprises, she'd be far more comfortable knowing about it in advance… which totally defeated the point of surprises, but she didn't care.

"What does this mean, Lois?"

Lois shrugged, showing confusion. "I don't know."

They tried not to talk about it; the subject of Jason's true paternity remained an incredibly sensitive and painful subject for Richard. If he only knew what she did about Jason's biological father, the unspoken problems between them would only intensify. She never once entertained the thought of telling Richard about Clark until she spoke to him about it herself.

Confirmation once again that she was, in fact, still withholding her knowledge of his alter-ego from Clark, just as he had been hiding it all these years from her. Thinking about it further, she couldn't say it didn't hurt. In the days following her discovery of his identity, she had spent plenty of restless nights trying to sort everything out, and all with very little success. At one point, she had almost accepted the fact that he might never tell her. Apparently, he had too big of a hero complex to ever put his happiness above anyone else's, even at the cost of having any sort of fatherly relationship with his son that was felt both ways.

As a result, she decided to bring Jason along to the office more often, not that it mattered; her son was practically an honorary employee of the bull pen. She knew at least that way, every time she turned her back, Clark could get a chance to steal moments with Jason. She'd even managed to coerce Clark to babysit a few times, and every time she asked, his eyes lit up. It was a good thing that when it did, he was staring at Jason. If he hadn't been, she would unravel with just one look into his eyes.

Some moments later, after observing Jason eat his fried shrimp for a while just to make sure there were no side affects, Richard led Lois back to the kitchen wanting to talk to her.

"By any chance… you know… could he be… that thing?" Richard brought up the subject of Jason's unique attributes with difficulty.

"Probably," was all she could answer.

Richard sighed due to her limited explanation. "Do you think we'll ever be able to talk about this without feeling like we're walking on egg shells?"

"I don't know; you've been ignoring it all month," she answered sharply, her voice low so it didn't carry out to the living room where Jason sat watching the Discovery Channel. This week the show featured mummies, so there was a good chance his attention wouldn't be swayed even if their home was hit with a tsunami.

"I'm not the only one ignoring this," Richard defended himself. He moved closer to her. "Can we take this outside?"

Lois stepped out of the house, grabbing her coat along the way. She stopped when she reached the little playground near their house. She had spent many nights sitting in these swings just staring up into the sky, wondering what life would've been like if Superman had never left. Would they have been together? Would Richard have been happy in another life that didn't include her? Could it have been possible that instead of wearing Richard's ring, she would be wearing Clark's?

"You're in love with him."

"Please," Lois pleaded. "Not this again." Her thoughts made her feel guilty, but that couldn't be helped.

"Why can't you just admit it?" Richard said, his heart breaking for all the things that were slipping away, and had been for a while now. The weight of the past was getting heavier, too heavy for either of them to carry. "You don't think I know…" he added softly. "That some nights, Superman flies into our son's window."

Lois looked at him, surprised that he was aware of Superman's late night visits to their son's room. She had actually thought he had been very discreet in his visits.

"I bet he knows I know though," Richard continued, swallowing hard. A long pause stretched between them. "I can't imagine what it's like to be him, to watch somebody else raise and love his child. But the thing is, Lois. I love that child too." He tried to blink away his tears but he couldn't. "I _love _Jason even if you don't love me anymore."

"Richard," she uttered softly, trying to bridge the gap between them, but he stepped back.

"No," he said. "I'm not the one you want."

"That's not true," she tried to reason. If she didn't at least try to make this work between them, it would only confirm to her what she had long tried to deny – that whichever way she tried to rationalize it, she had settled for Richard White.

"I see the way you look at him, Lois. The way your eyes always drift to the television, how you freeze and forget about everything else whenever you see him on screen. I can barely get your attention when somebody says the name Superman around you. If you can't be honest with me, at least be honest with yourself."

"I never deserved you," she finally admitted.

"No," he disagreed. "You deserve better."

"You had me, Richard."

With his feelings finally out there in the open, he was finally able to accept what had been staring him in the face since the moment they met.

"Lois," he started. "I don't think I ever truly had you."

That evening, Richard took a drive to his uncle's house after he had tucked Jason into bed. He and Lois spent most of the evening talking, and just putting it all out there. They had a month to think it all through. As much as it hurt him to part with their son, he knew he couldn't deprive Jason of a relationship with his biological father.

In the end, Richard was somewhat relieved that Lois had no intention of ever cutting him off from their son's life. She assured him that no matter what happened; he would always be a father to Jason.

After tomorrow, everything was going to be different.

* * *

Upstairs in her son's bedroom, Lois sat wishing for the time to fly by. Watching her little boy sleep peacefully, she envied his young life's lack of burdens and emotional complications that relentlessly applied to adult life.

Or maybe she was wishing for something else.

"Lois?"

The perfect timing of his arrival brought out a quiet chuckle from her. Sometimes she could feel him nearby and it scared her how she couldn't escape him even when she tried, and she had tried a lot. He was so much a part of her, she couldn't breathe.

"How was your night?" she asked, avoiding his worried gaze.

"Slow," he said but then added. "How about you, Lois?"

"What do you think?" she returned with a light edginess she didn't mean to churn out. This wasn't the right time or place to have any sort of argument, especially while their son was sleeping.

"Has something happened?"

Lois sighed, tired of answering a question with another question without even getting an answer to the previous one. There were times when she hated how good he was at being two different people in front of her eyes, and she felt torn between telling him what she knew and forcing it out of him. But she stood her ground and kept her feelings about the truth in check.

"He ate something he wasn't supposed to, tonight." Lois felt him stiffen and she assured him that Jason was all right. "I'm making an appointment with our doctor as soon as the holidays are over."

"Dr. Stevenson," he guessed accurately.

This time, she finally turned to look at him, and he couldn't ignore the annoyance that was clearly in her eyes.

"You know about him?" Lois couldn't remember the last time she mentioned her doctor to Clark or Superman. "Wait, how do you know him?"

"I don't," he answered simply.

"Then how did you—"

"After you told me about him, I wanted to know more."

"You could've asked," she said. "I would've told you anything you wanted to know." She meant it too. "You have heard of picking up the phone, or in your case, flying through windows," she quipped. She had to. Her emotions were running high and she needed an outlet. Superman or not, she was a bit aggravated that Clark had gone behind her back.

"I wasn't sure…"

She cut him off. "You know what, it doesn't matter now. What did you find out?"

When he raised his eyebrows at her, she saw Clark instead of Superman and it amazed her how easily she could see the two. Once the blinders were taken off, she was finally able to see the whole person. Now if she could only get the two to coincide…

"He's going to be fine."

"I need more than just fine… Sma… er… Superman." _Damn_, she had almost called him Smallville.

He was suddenly by Jason's side, letting his right hand cup the side of his son's face as he continued to sleep, blissfully unaware of the turmoil that existed between the adults in his life.

Regardless of their problems, it was a beautiful sight to behold.

"He talks about you a lot," she revealed, waiting for his reaction.

Superman smiled, but he didn't say anything much to her chagrin. Clark was always so talkative at work too, sharing information that nobody else would know. For example, he had told her that a single coffee tree yields only one pound of roasted, ground coffee annually. She didn't know that, and next to Jason, coffee was her life. And then her personal favorite, that it was against the law to whale hunt in Oklahoma. Just think about that for a moment and you would understand why it was her favorite.

"You know, if you stay long enough, we could attempt to work something out, like, I don't know, visitation rights." Lois meant for it to come out as a joke, but the lack of laughter that followed pretty much killed it.

"I…" he hesitated. "Thank you for letting me see him."

"He's your son too," she reminded him, though she knew that he remembered every minute of every day. If she couldn't get him to open up to her, the only thing she could do is remind him that he mattered, and his place in their son's life was important to her too.

"I should get going."

"Does someone need help?"

Superman shook his head. "No." He stood up, and slowly stepped away from Jason's bed. He looked at Lois, and she saw in his eyes exactly what she wanted, but both were afraid to take that leap. "Goodnight, Lois."

"Wait!" she stopped him.

Superman watched her silently until she spoke.

"Happy Thanksgiving." He smiled and like all other nights, he was gone.

* * *

Superman touched down on the front lawn of his mother's new home in Montana just before the sun appeared. He sat on the steps and thought about where his life was headed and only saw one place.

One destination.

Lois.

Back then, even before he left, family was something he believed he couldn't achieve in his life. When he became Superman, that dream seemed a lot more distant and out of reach. It wasn't until he fell in love with Lois that his carefully laid out barriers began to fall. And fall they did. With a loud crash too, because now, all he could think about was the life he could've had, and he caught a glimpse of it when he, Lois and Jason had gone to Smallville.

"Clark, are you there?"

"Yeah, mom."

She sat down next to him. "How long have you been out here?"

"Since just before sunrise." Clark looked behind her. He hardly ever used his gifts whenever he was in his mother's company.

"Where's Ben?"

"He's a heavy sleeper."

"Oh." Clark didn't even want to go there and continued toward a different topic. "I just wanted to see how you were doing. Here. In Montana." He still couldn't believe she had moved to Montana.

"It's really not at all that bad," she assured with a soft loving smile. After a few quiet seconds, she had to ask. "How's my grandson doing?" The thrill of saying those words brought the same joy she felt when she first held her special boy in her arms that fateful day so many years ago.

"He's great," he said, but Martha knew he was holding back his emotions. He always did when it came to Lois Lane and their son. "I was just there, actually."

Martha's eyes brightened. She couldn't get enough of hearing about her only grandchild. When Clark had told her that they visited Smallville on assignment for a weekend, her heart broke because she wasn't there to finally meet the family her son has longed for himself. A family _she_ had longed to see for her son.

Clark promised she would get to meet them soon.

"I'm just trying to work out the…"

"This isn't an assignment, Clark," Martha reminded him. "You're just going to have to take that leap of faith. Tell her who you are, I know you want to."

"It's just not that easy," he sighed heavily. "They're a family. I don't want to cause them any trouble."

"Sweetie, I don't want to be the one to remind you but, Lois is an adult and this is the way of life, hero or not. You have a responsibility that goes beyond saving the world. I knew you were simply content with your life before, but can you really live the rest of your life like this?" She let her words sink in before continuing. "Only you can write your destiny."

Clark smiled faintly. "You always did know how to put things in perspective."

"A trait heavily inspired by your father." Clark nodded, some of his fears abated but not all. Martha added. "And this may be a lot to ask, but this grandmother would really like to meet her grandson."

Clark hugged her immediately after she spoke her words.

"You will. I promise you will."

* * *

On his way back to Metropolis, Superman landed on the roof of his apartment building, and quickly changed into his civilian clothing before descending the stairs to his floor. When he got there though, he found himself face to face with the last person he expected to see waiting for him outside his apartment door.

"Richard?"

**To be continued…**


	14. Chapter 14

**Title**: Unmasked

**Author**: Nadia Mack

**Rating**: K+

**Disclaimer**: I Own Nothing

**Summary**: Post Superman Returns. Behind the hero is a man longing to be free.

**Author's Notes**: The first three chapters have been edited, and hopefully, little to no mistakes can be found. Everyone, clap your hands for Barbara! As for Sunday's lack of update, I was pretty busy this weekend, I worked majority of the day with my other job, so by the time I got home, I was too exhausted to do anything but read.

Thank you all for the continued support and feedback, this story would be lost without you.

By the way, there are some _amazing_ stories in this section, I'm growing very fond of "An Understanding" and really enjoyed the one-shot "Right Before Your Eyes." "In the Shadow of My Father" is a bit intense, so make sure you're eating lots ice-cream when you do. Comfort food is needed for stories like that. And don't forget "Déjà Vu" but judging by the response to that story, does Barbara really need it? lol. There are plenty more out, and they're all great in their own right.

**Chapter 14: **Collide

Clark remained still as the two men regarded each other in silence. Since he had come back to the Planet a month ago, his relationship with Lois's fiancé had stayed on a professional level, and neither one had felt the compulsion to really get acquainted with each other as friends. So at this moment, Clark was left seriously wondering just why Richard White was standing in his hallway at 1:30 in the morning.

Thankfully, Richard began speaking. "I was in the neighborhood," he started out somewhat awkwardly. "I was headed towards my uncle's but I'm – anyway, I…"

"How long have you been waiting out here?"

"About an hour," Richard admitted gloomily. "No one answered so I figured I'd wait." He reached into his pocket and pulled out something out. "I found this the other day." His hand shook as he handed it to Clark.

Clark pushed his glasses further up the bridge of his nose and looked at it with definite surprise. It was a photo taken of him and Lois back when they were assigned the story in Smallville.

"Where did you get this?"

"In Lois' things," Richard answered. Clark pushed the implication aside, and his super hearing closed in on Richard's erratic heartbeat, causing his envy toward the man to turn into concern. It was probably best for Clark to think about the photo a little later because Richard didn't seem to be acting like himself.

"Why don't you come inside?" Clark asked, grabbing his keys from his coat pocket and unlocking his door. Richard reluctantly followed Clark into his apartment, taking in the grandeur of the place. It was wide and spacious, and completely above Kent's means.

"Nice place."

"Thanks," Clark replied awkwardly. They moved to the kitchen where Clark opened up his fridge to pour himself a glass of milk. "Thirsty?" he offered to Richard holding up a glass in one hand and a pitcher of water in another.

Richard mused over his preferred drink of choice and politely accepted the water over the milk.

"Sure."

Richard continued to look around his co-worker's apartment. He didn't know what to expect, maybe a small one bedroom place with very few furnishings. He had always thought Kent was too modest for his own good, but as evidence was pointing out, he had pegged the farm boy wrong.

"So how does a guy like you find a place like this?" Richard asked. He couldn't help himself, he was a reporter too, you know.

"Luck, I guess," Clark answered simply.

Richard nodded and ended his inquiry, doubting it had really been luck that got him into such a nice abode. He didn't want to be the rude guest or anything. What he really envied about Clark Kent was his history with Lois and his son's apparent attachment to him. He had noticed from the beginning that whenever Jason wasn't with him or Lois, he was with Clark. Normally, Jason had stayed in his office or drawn on his mother's desk which was common for a quiet child like Jason, but for the last few weeks, Jason's outgoing enthusiasm surprised even him.

Clark attempted to explain. "Look, the photo was just…"

"I'm not accusing you of anything," Richard cut him off to assure him otherwise. In a way, he was there in hopes of finding some common ground. "I'm here because…" Richard exhaled, and for a moment, Clark saw his eyes glisten. "Well, because Lois is going to need your help."

"My help?" Clark began to worry. "Is she okay?" He had left her only a few hours ago, and she had been fine.

"No, nothing like that. She's fine." Richard gulped down the rest of his glass of water. At that moment, he wished it were something stronger, but he wasn't going to let the situation beat him down like that. "I meant, she's going to need your help… in the future I mean."

Clark narrowed his eyes, not liking where this conversation was headed, or in this case what the conversation implied.

"Richard, um… whatever it is, I'm sure you and Lois will work it out."

Richard snorted at his words and it definitely caught Clark off guard. "I appreciate the relationship advice, Kent, but it's a little late for that." Soon after, Richard found himself pouring his heart out to the one person besides Superman that he actually felt threatened by when it came to Lois' affections. "Do you mind?" he gestured to the couch.

Clark's mouth opened to answer when Richard sat himself down. Clark snapped his jaw shut and walked over to the recliner situated perpendicular to the sofa, feeling oddly. He didn't know what to say, nor did he know exactly how to act. This was the last thing he had expected to come home to. Clark knew it had been tense at the office, but he had fooled himself into thinking they weren't having _that _many problems.

"Did something happen?" Clark had a pretty good idea what it was, but he dreaded the answer all the same.

"We broke up, that's what happened," Richard answered, a little too bluntly. "I don't know why we held on so long, but I guess I hoped…" He looked at Clark with faint disdain. "I know you're a good guy, Clark, but I don't like you. I hope you're not offended by that."

"No, no of course not," Clark replied meekly. "I… uh… feel the same way."

"Good," Richard said with a nod, one common point checked off. "I should get going." He stood up and made his way to the door. "I'll see you at the office."

Clark followed Richard out the door and watched as he walked away with a look of total bewilderment. As Superman, it was easy to be confident because he knew what he had to do. There was little time to talk while trying to help, so his exposure to people in a personal sense was limited. So when he was being himself as Clark, he could get just as confused as the next person, and right now, he had no idea what had just happened – only one line in his entire conversation with Richard White had registered thoroughly.

_"We broke up…"_

* * *

"Morning, Lois!" Clark waved goofily in her direction.

Lois had to clear her throat to keep from laughing. "Hey, Clark!" This was ridiculous. Even after a few weeks of getting to know this side of him, it amazed her how he could act this adorable all the time. Yes, adorable – and the fact that he could stay like that on such a consistent daily basis astounded her.

"So, how are you?"

Lois sighed, and upon noticing Clark's sad look at her reaction, she realized that he had taken it the wrong way. She wasn't upset that he had asked her how she was doing, she was upset because they were having the same conversation as the one they had last night.

"I'm fine," she forced out. "So where have you been?" she asked, crossing her arms and giving him a pointed look. "You're _late_."

Clark gulped, but Lois found it amusing. He deserved to be uncomfortable for keeping this charade up, especially with her, the mother of _his_ child.

"You know, Lois…" he tried to move the discussion elsewhere but she refused.

"So where were you?" she continued stubbornly.

"Um…" he struggled for an excuse, hating himself for continuing his deceit. "I was um… talking to my mom," he quickly said. "Yeah, she's uh, she's coming to Metropolis this weekend."

Lois hid a snorted laugh behind her hand?. He _actually_ had brought his mother into this.

"Really?"

"Hmm mm," he nodded. His attention moved elsewhere. "Where's Richard?"

Her amusement broken, she shrugged at his response. "He's working on a separate assignment for Chief, this morning. He'll be out all day," she said, her voice passive.

"Okay."

She rolled her eyes. "Come on, Kent." She strolled right past him without a glance back. "We've got trouble to get into!"

Clark shook his head, amazed.

_What was he going to do with her? _

* * *

By the time Lois and Clark finished following up their morning leads, Lois insisted that they make a beeline to the nearest coffee shop. She had a craving for another cup when she remembered something.

"You're still coming over tonight, right?"

Clark turned to her rather blankly as his attention was focused elsewhere. His mind constantly went over Richard's unexpected appearance the previous night, and it left his thoughts scattered.

"Tonight?" he repeated. "Gee, Lois. It was awfully nice of you, but I don't think I'll be able to make it."

Clark felt entirely too awkward to show up in the home that Lois shared with her former-fiancé, and it was even worse that they would be surrounded by close friends and relatives, leaving him in a lot of ways, the odd man out.

Meanwhile, Lois was upset that he was planning on skipping out, but then she had to remind herself that even though he'd done an honorable job keeping his two identities separate, she was pushing him too hard. She should've known that Clark would have problems attending a Thanksgiving dinner with the man she was formerly supposed to marry. A part of her wished they could have beaten the odds, but she couldn't make herself regret it.

The thought of Richard sprung up in her mind. She had asked how he was, and he sufficiently responded, but she had lived with him long enough to know that there was more behind his eyes than he let on. During their brief meeting with Perry early this morning, it was obvious that their boss – his uncle, her mentor – knew more about what was going on between them than he let on as well.

In the end, Lois was just glad that Richard had someone to talk to.

"What do you mean, you can't make it?" She might as well make an effort to ask why even though she had a pretty good idea of all the reasons why he _shouldn't_ come to Thanksgiving Dinner tonight.

"Well, you see Lois…" Clark paused to take a deep long breath. "My mom really_ is_ coming to town. I'm picking her up this afternoon. It's been a while since we spent this day together, and you know, I thought maybe I could make her dinner."

As soon as those words came out, Lois' heart leaped with joy. She had this warm sensation every time he did something so… human. She was reminded, despite his many superhuman gifts which could have easily separated him from humanity, how normal he could be.

"Why don't you ask her to come? We'd be more than happy to have her."

The sadness that followed her words made Lois want to kick herself. She was trying really hard win this game of musical chairs with Clark, but no matter how she tried, one of them, or both, ended up failing miserably. Full disclosure with Clark Kent right now seemed quite tempting.

"Thank you, Lois, but I'll have to take a rain check on that," he said regrettably, avoiding the look of disappointment in his partner's eyes. "It'll just be me, my mom, and her… husband."

"Husband?"

Clark sighed and shared a different sort of turmoil. "She remarried last week, and they wanted to spend their first Thanksgiving with me."

This time, Lois tried not to let her disappointment show at not having known that particular bit of information. She had thought they were past secrets like that and had become the kind of friends that friends should be.

"You haven't mentioned that."

"It's probably because I try not to think about it," he admitted with difficulty and Lois immediately buried any resentment she had entertained when learning his mother had remarried.

"You don't like him?"

"It's not about liking him, he's a good man. My mother did good… but… he's not my dad, and I guess that bothers me a little."

_So human_, she thought and wondered even further how he felt about Richard raising their son all these years. Before she could talk about anything else though, they were suddenly approached by Jenny, writer of the society column.

"Hey there, Clark Kent," Jenny greeted with her trademark voice, which held an invitation of less than noble intentions and completely ignoring his company.

Lois rolled her eyes that the woman would even try that with Clark let alone think she could succeed. Shouldn't she be off at some movie premiere or something?

"Hello, Jenny."

"Are you free tonight?"

_He is way out of your league, little girl_, Lois thought entirely too venomously, but she schooled her features all the same to avoid suspicion. The office knew that she and Richard were having personal problems and no one knew that they both mutually called it quits last night, so as far as the general populace was concerned, she was off the market.

Clark gulped nervously. "Actually, I'm pretty busy tonight, but thank you anyway."

"Oh."

The look of defeat on Jenny's face was priceless to Lois. She wasn't as jealous of Jenny's attention toward Clark now as she had been a couple of weeks ago when the green-eyed monster of envy had come out of left field. The thought of her Superman stooping so low was beyond even her own comprehension. Jenny was often described as a shameless flirt and her actions hardly denied that fact.

"I have to go," Clark said.

"Maybe we can…"

"You go right ahead, Clark," Lois jumped in, a perfect opportunity to cut into Jenny's continued advances. "I'll meet you there." It was like killing two birds with one stone: Clark could fly off and save the world yet again, and she could have the pleasure of watching Jenny shrink away from being brushed off.

"Okay, Lois." Clark readily agreed, sending her a silent 'thank you' afterwards.

Lois returned his thanks with a silent 'you're welcome.'

A couple of minutes later, the daily news report on television was broadcasting a live feed of a warehouse fire when suddenly, Superman appeared. A smiled graced her lips as she stopped what she was doing to watch the man that had captured her heart tend to the disaster with relative ease.

One day, Superman would be ready to tell her, and when that day came, Lois would be too.

**To be continued…**


	15. Chapter 15

**Title**: Unmasked

**Author**: Nadia Mack

**Rating**: K+

**Disclaimer**: I Own Nothing

**Summary**: Post Superman Returns. Behind the hero is a man longing to be free.

**Author's Notes**: Whew! My draft last night got lost in cyberspace, so this came a little later than usual. I can't stress this enough, but you all are remarkable. And I appreciate the comments. I will try to respond individually and I apologize in advance if I miss anyone. You all continue to be a pleasant group to write for.

**Chapter 15: Casualty**

The next few weeks came and went, and to her utter surprise, her co-worker and sometime partner had become curiously distant. He kept his distance as Superman as well, choosing just to hover outside his son's window instead of sneaking inside. At first, she wondered why, but then she realized that her ex-fiancé's absence from the office gave her ample proof that Clark probably knew that they weren't together anymore.

With immense effort, she had tried to ignore the changes, but this afternoon, she couldn't anymore. She had to say something.

"Hey Smallville, you have a minute?"

Clark stopped typing on his keyboard and looked up. "Of course," he replied delightfully.

"Good, because I really need to talk to you," she said, glancing at the office clock and remembering she had to pick up their son. While she had vowed to keep the knowledge of his dual-identity a secret, even to Clark, it didn't mean she had to keep all of her secrets from him.

"Uh, Lois, are you sure right now is a good time, though? Perry's got us working on all these side stories."

Lois shook her head, ignoring his attempt to avoid her. She understood his reasoning. Shortly after they broke up, she and Richard continued to talk about everything that had happened in their lives and how much things had changed. They were both surprised at the relative ease with which they were able to talk to one another about things now that they weren't together.

The future was unknown to both of them, but they had agreed to remain friends, if not for themselves, for Jason. She only hoped that she could reach this same level of ease with Clark one day. Superman was constantly needed all over the world, and while she envied people for his attention, she was proud of him too.

"This is a better time as any," she said, pulling Clark's coat from his chair. "I have to pick Jason up; we can talk on the way." She knew he wouldn't be able to refuse now, and she mentally gave herself a pat on the back for maneuvering him into her company so smoothly, with hardly any guilt about using their son to her advantage.

* * *

On the way to Jason's school, Clark cracked his knuckles for a good five minutes. After he had gone through it once already, he would do it again. Then a third time. Lois knew he was nervous about this discussion, but she couldn't hold it off anymore. She already had one secret to worry about; she didn't want to have to hide another.

"Richard and I aren't together anymore, by the way," she spoke in such a nonchalant manner that Clark's expression afterward nearly had her laughing. She stopped at a light and waited for his response.

"Oh."

Unaffected, Lois said, "I presume you already knew." It was a statement, not a question.

Clark finally nodded. "Yes," he said with a low voice.

"When did you find out?" she asked, curious and not at all angry.

Clark shifted in the passenger's seat rather uncomfortably, but at least the truth about the demise of her relationship with Richard was out. She could care less what the office thought, but with Clark, it was one less thing to worry about. Now if he could stop dwelling on the truth and fill the air between them with words, all would be somewhat complete.

"I'm really sorry things didn't work out," he said, the sincerity in his voice honest and pure.

"Yeah…" she was going to follow that automatically with 'me too' but it didn't feel right or ring true with what she was feeling. She was ashamed of herself for committing only a part of her heart to a man who deserved better. Richard, despite everything that had happened, was more than just a good man, he was perfect. He just wasn't perfect for her, and for that, she would always be sorry.

"How's Jason?"

"He's holding up," she replied, her eyes focused on the road as the topic of their son became the center of attention. "We… Richard and I… we decided to take it slow with him, you know." She could tell he wanted to respond to that, so to make it easier for him, she answered his unspoken question. "He's thinking about getting his job back in Europe, but until then, he'll be spending time with Jason on the weekends. We haven't really talked about what's going to happen to the house, and neither of us want to ignore that we actually had a life together so…"

"I understand," he said, some of his composure returning. "You don't have to tell me these things."

"But I want to," she admits readily. "And selfishly, I'm tired of keeping it to myself. I'd talk to Chief about it but he's too close to Richard… and Jimmy...?" She chuckled at the thought. "That's out of the question."

She caught him smile, it was small but it was there, and that mattered to her more than he could ever know.

* * *

They finally pulled over next to the school entrance when Jason came bouncing down the front steps. The adults could hear him racing off the sidewalk and by the time Lois stepped out of the car, her son was already wrapped in the comfort of her arms. She glanced over to find Clark watching with a wistful expression and she longed to share the happiness of parenthood with him.

Over her shoulder, Jason waved. "Hi, Mister Clark!"

Lois chuckled softly whenever she heard her son call him 'mister.' One day, when all was said and done, there would be a moment when Clark would no longer be the other man in his mother's life; he would know him as his father.

Clark returned the wave with equal enthusiasm.

"Hey, Jason!"

Jason smiled and turned back to his mother. "What are we doing today, Mom?"

"Well…" she looked between father and son and a thought suddenly sprang to mind. "There's a city fair at the park today, do you want to go?"

Jason's eyes became so wide, his mother worried his eyes would pop out. He looked so happy, and she was glad of it. Anything to lessen the pain that her son would eventually endure once he understood why his daddy was no longer living with them would help her immeasurably.

"Can Mister Clark come too?"

She saw her partner fidget in the car and her heart went out to him. How he could handle living his life like this so utterly alone is beyond her, and she hoped, with their friendship, he'd be ready to open up to her one day. Although for her benefit and everyone else involved, she hoped it was soon.

"Yeah," she answered softly, her eyes showing so much love for the little boy she and Clark had made together. "He's more than welcome to join us." She turned to Clark. "Right?"

Clark swallowed hard and then nodded his decision. "Yay!" Jason said before jumping into the back seat.

* * *

They spent the rest of the afternoon and most of the early evening at the city fair at Metropolis's popular Centennial Park. They watched puppet shows, played games, bought cotton candy and even took a ride on a Ferris Wheel. Speaking of Ferris Wheels, as the three sat together on their swing with Jason in between, she couldn't help but watch Clark intently.

"What's turning in that head of yours, Smallville?"

His smile was endearing, and she wondered why it had taken her so long to notice its appeal. Another moment passed by before he finally answered.

"I just… I was just thinking."

"About?"

He smiled. "I used to be afraid of heights."

Back in the day, learning that Clark Kent was afraid of heights wouldn't have come as a surprise, but Superman? Afraid of heights? It was practically unfathomable at this moment.

"Really?" Jason said, speaking up before she could. "I like flying."

Clark smiled down on him with such adoring eyes. "Mm hmm, but not anymore."

"Thank God," she muttered under her breath.

"What?" Clark asked, not hearing her because his attention was so engrossed in the other Lane seated with them.

"Nothing," she said quickly. "I'm glad your phobia is gone."

Clark shrugged and offered nothing else, much to her disappointment. After their ride on the Ferris Wheel, Jason urged Clark to play Tin Can Alley, a game that might force the shy reporter into using his hidden athletic abilities to knock all the cans off the 18" platform with 2 bean bags. Clark believed Jason wanted to win a stuffed Superman doll so he gave in, although reluctantly.

Lois stood to the side, amused yet wondering what he was going to do. Surely, he wouldn't let his son down.

_Swoosh!_ Lois tried to hide her laughter with little success. The toss was so wide, Clark could've knocked out somebody else's platform.

"Sorry," he said softly after he witnessed the frown on his son's face. Clark tried again, and this time, he decided to just let go and have fun. So with one quick toss, he knocked it out easily, making Jason happy.

Clark lifted him up and asked, "So which one do you want?"

Jason looked at the options for a moment before deciding. There was a teddy bear, a dragon, Batman and Superman.

"Well…" Clark waited.

"That one!" Jason pointed to the last option he would have suspected Jason to want. The Teddy Bear.

"Are you sure?"

Behind them, Lois looked on with admiration. She was so proud of Jason for his choice. Everyone knew how much Jason loved Superman, he was a constant topic of conversation for them, but tonight, being in the arms of his biological father without the worry of madmen trying to take over the world, Jason was just a normal little boy.

When they reached the next game, Lois smirked. This should be interesting.

It was the High Striker. An old time traditional carnival game where a person takes a mallet and hits the rubber level as hard as they can to try and send the dinger to ring the bell that was situated 17 feet high. It sounded simple enough, but it really wasn't. With Clark though, she believed it would be a no-brainer until somebody else spoke up.

"Can I do it?"

Lois and Clark looked down on Jason dumbfounded. "Huh?" "What?" they both said in unison.

"I wanna play," Jason said, giving them his best puppy dog look that had even the barker wanting to obey his every command.

"Uh…." Impersonating Clark wasn't Lois' strong suit.

"Please!" Jason pleaded.

"It's all right, ma'am," the barker jumped in. "We have a smaller mallet here, he'll be perfectly fine."

Lois exchanged glances with Clark but her son's easy gaze had her giving up sooner than she expected. She'd never given it a name before, but she's dubbed it the Kent Charm.

"Sure, why not," she said nervously.

"Yes!" Jason said, grabbing the mallet and going to position. Lois's heart began to beat rapidly, something that wasn't unnoticed by Clark while he stood by hoping nothing out of the ordinary happened. The extent of Jason's strength was still unknown to them.

"Whenever you're ready, kid," the barker said.

"Thank you," Jason replied politely, raising the mallet high over his head. Lois and Clark's mouth opened in anticipation, and as soon as the mallet fell, the dinger barely reached a few feet. Jason scowled at his pathetic first try but inwardly, his parents were relieved.

Jason tried again, and this time, it only reached five feet. At this point, his parents weren't worried anymore, but Jason was growing so upset that he started wheezing. Lois quickly reached into her purse for an inhaler when suddenly; Jason slammed the mallet onto the rubber level so hard that it sent the dinger on a crash course toward the ringer, almost breaking it.

Lois dropped her son's inhaler and gasped, while Clark came in and did damage control, mentioning how something must've come loose on the game as the barker looked over the apparatus with mild confusion. Jason, on the other hand, looked between his mom and friend and uttered, "I'm sorry."

"No, sweetie." Lois pulled her son in her arms. "It wasn't your fault."

Clark moved to her side and rubbed Jason's arm softly. "I'm sure it happens all the time, don't worry about it."

Lois glanced his way appreciatively while Clark could only respond with a smile. The only explanation he could think of at the moment is that Jason's powers were triggered whenever he was upset or scared. While this moment further pushed his decision to tell Lois the truth, it was Lois herself that gave him the final nudge in the right direction. It was the way she tried to protect Jason that made him believe that they really had a chance, a chance he was finally willing to take.

"Lois, I should take you home."

Lois nodded. "That sounds like a good idea." She carried Jason the rest of the way to their car when they were stopped all of a sudden by a man dressed in ragged clothing and a ski mask holding a small handgun.

"Don't move or I'll hurt you!" he said forcefully, sticking the handgun into their faces. Jason wrapped his arms around his mother tightly and she was surprised to find her neck completely intact until she noticed Clark's hands around Jason's wrists. He must've kept the pressure of her son's hold from taking her head off.

"Look, sir, we don't want any trouble," Clark said, always the calm one even in the face of death.

"Give me your keys!" he demanded.

"Lois—"

But she was already way ahead of him. "Here," she said, tossing the hoodlum her keys. "Now go."

"Don't tell me what to do, lady!" he said, swinging his handgun from left to right, aiming it between the two adults. "Put your wallets in the car!"

Lois felt her son stiffen, as if he was waiting for something to happen. She looked at Clark briefly and noted the look of concern on his face. She looked back at her son and saw his fearful look in Clark's direction, and she knew although she didn't know how, that her son also knew who Superman was.

"Do it!" the man said, pointing the gun now at their son.

"Wait, don't!" Clark interjected when suddenly; he felt the weakening affect of Kryptonite start to take hold of him. He began sweating. "No," he whispered. "Not now."

"Here!" Lois threw her purse at man. "Take it and go!" Just then, she quickly dropped Jason in Clark's arms as she kicked the purse out of the mugger's hands. The surprise in the mugger's reaction compelled him to instinctively fire. BANG! Lois closed her eyes and braced herself for the inevitable when she heard a soft voice.

"Lois."

She opened her eyes and found herself face to face with Clark, who stood in front of her, one hand on his stomach. She found Jason just a few feet away, crying. When she turned back to Clark, he was breathing heavily, and both their eyes made their way down to his stomach. She gasped; he was bleeding, blood dripping between his fingers to the pavement as he collapsed on the ground.

Meanwhile, on the ground just a few feet away from them, lay a necklace with a green stone.

**To be continued…**


	16. Chapter 16

**Title**: Unmasked

**Author**: Nadia Mack

**Rating**: T

**Disclaimer**: I Own Nothing

**Summary**: Post Superman Returns. Behind the hero is a man longing to be free.

**Author's Notes**: Yay! Here comes another chapter. I had to take some time yesterday to figure things out, because I'd like to at least pretend I know what I'm talking about and I hope you can excuse some of my ignorance. Thanks again to Barbara; I'll never stop saying my appreciation for her beta-reading skills. Her advice and suggestions have been invaluable. Thanks for all the feedback once again, you all continue to astound me.

**Chapter 16**: Vigil

Lois sat in a chair diligently by his side. She had refused to leave the moment she had been allowed into his company. Was this how their life was going to be from now on? Watching the man she loved and respected fighting for his life for the rest of their lives? She didn't know, yet one thing she did know without a shadow of a doubt.

She wouldn't leave him.

Lois held his hand as a way to keep him near. As a way to prove that he was real. This was worse than the events that followed the incident with the Gertrude and New Krypton, and she had thought naively that something like that would never happen again. Yet even with that belief, this time it was different. Before Superman had come flying back into her life two months ago, he had only been a memory from a past she had willed herself to forget but failed to do so. The difference that lay between then and now was the knowledge she possessed concerning the man before her.

That Superman was Clark Kent.

For weeks she had struggled with her feelings. Once Lois accepted that realization that she felt more connected to Superman, not just through their son, but through Clark, made loving him even that much more powerful, more real, and above all, more confusing. But she couldn't lose him. She refused to. After everything that had happened, there was no way she was going to stand by and watch him slip away from her.

"Stay with me," she whispered to him, her eyes closing as the events of the last twenty four hours replayed in her head.

**- 18 Hours Ago -**

"_Oh, my God." When Clark fell to the ground, Lois dropped to her knees. "Clark!" Her hand made its way to his lower abdomen, her hand applying pressure to his wound. He was losing a lot of blood and her composure was quickly leaving her. "Clark!" she said, panic escaping her voice, too shocked to think of anything else. At this moment, she didn't see him as Superman, she saw him as just Clark, normal, humble and kind-hearted Clark Kent.  
_

"_Mommy, what's wrong with him?"_

_She looked up at her son and saw how equally sickly he looked beyond his tear-strained face. "Come here beside me, sweetie," she said and Jason immediately obeyed. Jason moved behind her as he helplessly watched his mommy holding his friend._

"_Clark," she said once more, cradling his head on her lap as he grew paler by the moment. "I… I don't… I don't know how to help you." Her tears were falling as she sat helpless, holding onto him tightly._

"_Lois," he spoke out softly._

"Stay with me, Clark!" she urged, pressing harder in a desperate attempt to stop the bleeding. Her lips touched his forehead. "Stay with me," she whispered with a even lower voice. "Don't leave me again."

_He coughed, her words registering in his mind despite all the pain. With two little words, he confirmed his suspicions, "You… know?"_

She nodded, wiping the sweat from his head before removing his glasses. Even in the cover of darkness, she could see clearly into his deep blue eyes. 

"_Tell me how to help you," she asked him desperately. "Please." _

"_Kry…kryp…kryptonite." _

_Her mind snapped into focus as his words registered in her mind. She should've known. She looked up frantically trying to see through the darkness. "Jason!" she called out to him._

"_Mommy," he responded, scared._

"_I need you to do something for me, baby, okay?" Jason nodded and Lois explained. "I need you to put your hand here where mine is." Slowly, Jason reached out and placed his hand over his mother's without question when she quickly slid it away. "Now press down, sweetie."_

"_Kay."_

"_Good boy," she said, kissing him on the cheek before standing up and searching the vicinity for the rock in question._

"_I don't want him to die, mommy."_

_Her heart broke at his quiet declaration. She didn't want him to die, either. Not now, not ever and by the time she found it, lying on the ground disguised as a necklace, her mind reeled with fear. Someone must have taken the one of the meteors that fell and used it to create this piece of jewelry. The mere thought of thieves and crooks with a piece of what could kill Clark brought out a hateful feeling inside her. It was common knowledge that kryptonite had the ability to harm him, and she cursed her inability to prevent his weaknesses from being exposed in the media._

_Angrily, she grabbed it and ran a few more yards away and dropped it in a sewage drain. She turned and ran back only to find her son crying as Clark fell in and out of unconsciousness._

"_Clark!" she kneeled on the opposite side of her son as she tried to wake him. "Come on, Clark!" she panicked. "Jason, I need you to call 911."_

_Jason shook his head, nervous._

_"Sweetie, please!"_

"_He said… he said to call Mister Bruce."_

_Lois remained confused. "Who?" What she didn't see was the cell phone Jason held shakily with his free hand._

"_Mister Bruce."_

_"I don't know who that is," Lois replied, scared of her inability to help. "Get me the phone, and call 911."_

_Suddenly, she felt the wind blowing all around and the loud deafening sound of something above them started descending from the sky. Lois's eyes blinked as she tried to focus on the light that was coming down on them. The helicopter landed a few feet away and it was then that she could finally see what she was looking at. _

_The logo of Wayne Enterprises._

"_Clark!" the unfamiliar voice yelled through the loud sounds of the propeller._

_Just then, Jason stood up and ran towards the stranger Lois had never met before as she continued to press down on her beloved's wound._

"_Mister Bruce!" Jason jumped in Bruce's arms and whispered, "Mister Clark is hurt. Please help him."_

"_It's going to be okay, Jason." He set him down, and said, "I need you to sit next to Alfred in the helicopter, okay?"_

_Jason nodded, taking one last look back at his mom and friend before heading toward the helicopter. Bruce ran over to Lois's side and found his friend in the worst state he had ever seen him._

"_Jesus!" he said. "Clark." Lois didn't know what to say or do so Bruce took the lead. "My name is Bruce Wayne, I'm a friend. We have to get him out of here."_

"_No, don't touch him!" she said, defensively._

_"Miss Lane, please. If we don't get him help, he'll die!" he pleaded. _

_It was only by chance that Bruce happened to be at a charity banquet his company was holding in Metropolis when he received a frantic call from Jason. With a few words, Bruce and Alfred were out the door. "You can trust me!" he continued. Time was running out and his best friend's life was in her hands._

_Lois held onto Clark even stronger until she found her eyes setting their sights on her son, who sat buckled up in the helicopter, nodding his head, a show of trust that this man, whoever he was, could help._

The flashback ended when a voice interrupted her emotion-filled thoughts. "Miss Lane."

Lois looked up and smiled at the kind butler. Alfred Pennyworth. He walked up beside her with grace and placed her tray of food on a nearby side table. "You must eat something, Miss Lane."

"Thank you, Alfred, but I'm not hungry."

"But I insist," he said with such a refined demeanor it made Lois smile. She'd known him barely a day and she found his presence comforting, like a child would feel in the presence of their grandfather. It was no wonder that Bruce Wayne kept him for company.

"I will, I promise," she said, turning her attention back to Clark who lay unconscious on the king-size bed. Wayne Manor's guest rooms were ten times far more comfortable than anything a hospital could provide, and she was secretly glad of it.

"Very well then, Miss Lane."

Alfred bowed and exited, his presence replaced by another.

"How is he?"

After the tumultuous events of the past evening, she was finally able to look at Bruce with thankful, albeit tired, eyes.

"No change," she answered softly. Holding one hand with her own while the other stroked his hair softly. "I never got the chance to thank you… for helping him."

Bruce moved closer to the bed, his arms crossed in front of his chest. "He's like a brother to me; I could never abandon him when there's something I could do to help. God knows, he's saved me more times than I care to count."

Lois smiled weakly. "Always the boy scout."

"The guy can't help himself," Bruce joked.

Lois held her chuckle and moved to an entirely different topic. "Where's Jason?"

"Reading Dr. Seuss to my daughter," he answered with a smile. "I swear; those two are becoming thick as thieves."

Lois remembered meeting his daughter briefly when they arrived. She was a shy little girl who carried much of her father's features, marking her clearly as a Wayne both by looks, and by further observation, also in demeanor. It surprised her to learn that the infamous and reclusive Bruce Wayne was a loving father and friend.

The kind of friend she expected Superman to have.

Another thing to be grateful for.

She was definitely surprised to learn that it was Bruce that had sheltered her son during the meteor showers in Metropolis. It seemed that no matter how much she thought she knew Clark now that she was aware of his other identity; he still had a way of surprising her. When the surprise finally wore off, it was easy to accept Bruce Wayne into their lives.

"How long have you two known each other?"

Bruce took a deep breath and grabbed a seat to keep her company and answer any questions she wanted.

"Since college," he said, recalling the simple things in the past he rarely shared with anyone, even Alfred. "Clark attended Met U for a couple of semesters before going out on his own. I had just finished my sophomore year at Princeton when I decided that I needed to see the world, too. We met overseas when he helped me out of a jam."

Lois wasn't surprised. With or without the costume, Clark always had to lend a hand. Another endearing trait she couldn't help but admire.

"So you've known all along?"

To her surprise, Bruce shook his head. "Not a clue at first," he admitted. "I had my suspicions that there was a lot more to my miraculous rescues than met the eye, but I wasn't really forward about it. It wasn't until I saw Superman on television for the first time that I really knew."

Lois smirked a little as she remembered the very first time Superman had rescued her.

"It's funny, you know." Bruce raised his eyebrows as Lois continued. "You were able to recognize him in an instant, while I found out by accident."

"Don't be too hard on yourself, Clark never meant to form any lasting relationships when he first took the job at the Planet. It was a place for him to be close to the news, to filter out where he would be needed most."

Lois smiled knowingly; she had already figured that much of it out. "I know."

"Truthfully, I think he had made it work so well that telling you was almost impossible."

"Almost?"

Bruce wished he hadn't said anything. Before Clark had left for Krypton, he had plans for telling Lois everything. Bruce had tried to convince him not to go, telling him that he could get himself killed out there or worse, or find out they were all gone, which sadly, in the end, was what happened to Krypton.

"I'll let him tell you about it," he said instead.

"Fair enough."

"Mommy?"

Bruce and Lois turned to see Jason in a pair of Bruce's old childhood pajamas by the room's entrance. Helena was next to him, holding his hand like he was her big brother. In his other arm, Jason held tightly onto the teddy bear that Clark had won him at the fair. He refused to be parted from it since they had left Metropolis.

"Hi, sweetie," Lois responded. "Want to sit with me?"

Jason nodded.

Bruce went over to them and lifted his daughter, securing her in his arms, giving Jason the freedom to make his way to his mother. After a moment, Bruce left the family alone, giving them all the space they needed.

Lois let Jason sit on her lap as mother and son watched Clark sleep. Lucius Fox, a former scientist and chairman of Wayne Enterprises, had done all he could to remove the bullet that had lodged itself in Clark's abdomen. Lois had decided to take the risk of requesting the assistance of Dr. Stevenson shortly thereafter, but if the doctor was surprised to see Superman lying unconscious and seriously hurt, he didn't show it.

She had wondered why it was taking him so long to recover, but both scientist and doctor assured her that the near miss of the bullet to Clark's vital organs probably would cause his recovery to take a little longer than usual. That and his limited exposure to the sun might prevent him from healing more quickly.

"I don't want Mister Clark to die," Jason said, his sadness was overwhelming him. "He's Superman."

Lois tried to give her son a reassuring smile but found that she couldn't. She held onto him tighter than a life raft. They had created this beautiful boy together, and it was the one true and pure link she had to Clark that she desperately clinged to.

"He'd never leave us," she said, hoping her words held the truth she wanted it to. "You want to know why?"

Jason nodded.

"Because he loves us."

"He does?" Jason asked, hopeful.

"Yes, he does," she confirmed. "Do you want to know why he loves us?"

Jason nodded again.

"Because even though Richard is your daddy, Clark is too," she revealed softly. After tonight, she couldn't allow them to live in half-truths anymore. Not when the things she held dear were falling away from her again.

Jason gasped, but it was one of astonishment and happiness. Instinctively, he squeezed his teddy bear even tighter. "Really?" he asked so innocently, his eyes boring so intensely into hers. The same eyes as his father.

"He's your father, Jason."

Jason looked at Mister Clark sleeping and reached out to hold his hand. He smiled when he turned back to look at his mother.

"What's wrong, sweetie?" she asked, concerned that maybe she had told him too soon and too quickly, but the gleaming look in his eyes proved her wrong.

"Now I know why I love him," Jason said.

For the first time, Lois openly shared her tears in front of her son. If Clark would just wake up, this moment would be perfect.

**To be continued…**


	17. Chapter 17

**Title**: Unmasked

**Author**: Nadia Mack

**Rating**: K+

**Disclaimer**: I Own Nothing

**Summary**: Post Superman Returns. Behind the hero is a man longing to be free.

**Author's Notes**: Thanks again for the feedback; I'm short on time so I'm just going to get right to it. Enjoy!

**Chapter 17**: Tears

The following morning felt serene. Some time really late last night, Lois's body refused to follow her mind's stubbornness and conspired to finally get some rest, falling asleep on a DuraPella mocha chaise Ottoman sofa that was located just a few feet from Clark's bed.

Lifting her heavy eyelids, she was surprised to be greeted by a pair of clear blue eyes, his body illuminated by the rays of light that cascaded into the room from the windows.

"Clark!" she sat up, startled, as realization hit.

He smiled his quiet smile as his eyes continued to watch her. Lois felt his gaze intensely but she refused to let it affect her too much. This was what she had been waiting for and now that it was here, she didn't know what to say. Words seemed useless now after everything that had come to pass between them.

"Hi," he said finally, lifting his head ever-so-slightly before putting it back down on the soft pillow.

"You're up," she said before mentally smacking herself. "Right, of course you are," she added awkwardly. Why had she become a bumbling idiot all of a sudden? "How are you?" There. That seemed a reasonable enough question to start with.

Lois had thought she had this moment mapped out to the final detail, but her mind filled with a blankness she didn't think was quite possible to achieve. She looked down and found herself holding onto the teddy bear he had won for their son and momentarily wondered how she ended up with it. Jason must've left it with her last night. She loved that boy to death.

"I think I'll live," he said with a tiny bit of playfulness. She saw his slight smile and was finally able to relax.

She cleared her throat. "So, how long have you been awake?"

"Is this an interview?"

Lois chuckled as the tension in the air, on her part at least, began to lift. She stood up, leaving the stuffed bear behind, before approaching the bed carefully. His eyes followed her every move and she found herself wondering how her hair looked, and went quickly about smoothing it. She must look awful.

As if reading her mind, he said, "You look beautiful."

_Or not_, she thought. "You haven't answered my question." Her redirection would have worked if he hadn't responded with one of his charming grins. She sighed. Humility was not one of her strong points, but she seemed to be practicing it a lot lately.

"I didn't want to wake you," he replied in a soft voice that was neither Clark nor Superman. This must be what he sounded like when he was both, and Lois found herself liking all versions.

"How long exactly have you been awake?"

"A few hours," he answered casually.

Her eyes opened as wide as saucers. "A few hours?" she repeated in disbelief. "And you didn't think to bother waking me up? I was so worried about you."

Clark expressed no feelings of guilt for letting her sleep until daylight. Once he had awakened and his mind had become fully conscious of his surroundings and the events that led him to his state in the first place, he had forced his eyes to see what he thought was impossible.

Lois.

Not once did he feel the urge to wake her; he just wanted to lie there a little longer watching her sleep, knowing that she wasn't going to go away. Besides, she had done it all day for him and he happily wanted to return the favor.

"You looked so peaceful, and I was content to just watch you," he admitted with all honesty. "And I was… afraid."

Lois closed the distance between them, her hand reaching out to intertwine with his. "Afraid?" She let their fingers touch before sealing them together.

"I was afraid that you'd disappear if I did," he revealed with all the emotion he had suppressed inside.

"I'm right here," she replied softly, sitting down on the bed beside him. "I'm not going anywhere."

A lone tear escaped his eye as Lois slowly wiped it away with her other hand. For a while, they were silent. Not an uncomfortable silence, just silence. As if they were sorting through their thoughts until finally, Clark spoke.

"How long have you known?"

She raised her eyebrow. "Is that really what you want to ask first? Because I thought it'd be 'how did I find out'?"

"That's sort of neck and neck with 'how mad are you'?"

She chuckled; the discovery that Clark had a pretty wicked sense of humor impressed her, but she did think about his words. Her anger over his lack of disclosure had long dissipated within her along with any resentment she had over it. His second near-death experience furthered to help her forgive him of his shortcomings when it came to the truth, and her failing to see his worth long before she inadvertently discovered it.

"I'm not mad."

He quirked his eyebrow in disbelief, and if he hadn't looked so helpless in bed, she would've given him hell for thinking so.

"At first I was," she agreed, allowing him to know at least some of the disappointment and hurt she _had_ felt about the situation several weeks ago. "And then I was hurt."

Clark sighed, ashamed. "That's worse than mad." He paused; his heart was beating faster than normal for him. "I'm sorry I hurt you... Again."

"I understand why you did it."

"It's not what you think."

"Then enlighten me."

"I wasn't just afraid about retaliation if anyone found out who I was, and what you mean to me. I was afraid of hurting other people as well. You. Jason. Richard, even. I was afraid of failing you. I'm not normal and I can't always be there for you like Richard has been, but I've regretted every moment since leaving."

"You should've said goodbye." The thought of Richard wasn't as painful to think about or to hear now that she knew exactly where she wanted to be.

"If I had, I never would have left."

Clark's admission caught her off guard. Their relationship back then, as secretive as it was, was serious. So serious that the result was a child. Their child. Even though it all came unexpectedly for her, she felt deeply for him, and he her. Her only regret was not knowing him as well as she should have.

"You did what you had to do. Even you can't keep the world from spinning."

Clark grinned at her reply, and she wondered what it was that he found so amusing.

"What?"

"That's the same thing my mother said."

Lois smiled. "She's a smart lady. Why you're so dense, I'll never know."

Clark laughed, a rare action she would never take for granted. His laughter came so infrequently, both as Clark and as Superman, that she hoped, after today, there would be more of it in his… their life.

"I'd love for you to meet her."

She felt a nervous knot develop in her stomach, and it wasn't a pleasant feeling at all.

"I'd love to finally meet her, too."

The thought of meeting his mom was just too much for her mind to contemplate. To the world, he was Superman, and that would mean, his mother would be something like a Supermom. Thinking of it further was nerve-wracking so she forcefully put it aside and thought of something else.

"Jason's here," she said, pointing to the door. He was sleeping across the hall in the guest room.

"I know," he said, smiling. He closed his eyes and focused on the rhythm of their child's heart. "He's still sleeping."

Lois looked blankly at Clark, then to the closed door, and to Clark again. "What did you do just now? It didn't look like you were x-raying the door or anything."

He shook his head, trying to hide his smile but it was no use. "No."

"Then how did you – "

"I could hear his heartbeat, it's soothing. Just like yours."

"Mine?" she said a little dumbfounded by the new revelation. "You listen to my heartbeat?" he nodded and she was still quite surprised by it. "Seriously?" she expressed, still in disbelief.

Clark chuckled at her reaction. "Before I left for Krypton, I used to fall asleep at night listening to your heartbeat. I'd let the rhythm of it surround me, roll me off to dreamland," he explained, getting lost in the memory of it.

Lois's mouth slightly dropped. "I didn't know that."

"I don't deserve your forgiveness for all that I've put you through, but here you are, and I have to remind myself sometimes that you're not a dream and I'm really holding your hand."

"Where was all this six years ago?" she asked, sighing. This was without a doubt the first conversation that they'd ever had together where they were both free to truly share their feelings, and now that it was here, she was even more frustrated at all the near misses in their relationship.

Clark looked away, unable to meet her watering eyes. "I love you," he said softly. "I never stopped, and I don't think I ever will."

Lois took a deep breath. She knew he loved her, but hearing it aloud felt like a shot of electricity through her, bringing her back to life. Through all the hardships, the distance, the pain and the years that had separated them, those very words defeated anything she thought and feared would get in their way.

"That's quite interesting," she said, moving her hand to his chin and guiding his face back to hers. "Because I happen to love you too." Lois was about to lean down and kiss him when they heard a knock on the door. She let out a deep sigh. "You've got to be kidding me."

"Is he awake now?" a little voice said from behind the door.

Clark smiled as Lois chuckled. This was one distraction they would allow. "Come in, sweetie. He's awake."

Jason opened the door and a big smile broke through his somber demeanor. As soon as he caught sight of his mother and Clark wide awake, he ran toward them with excitement but stopped when he arrived halfway through.

Confused, Lois looked at her son. "Sweetie, what's wrong?"

Not knowing what to do, Jason looked between the two adults nervously. "I don't know what to call you," he admitted.

Clark blinked, confused himself. He stared at Lois to help him understand what was happening but she was no help at all. She moved from his side and made her way to Jason, kneeling down in front of him so they could face one another at eye level and suggested, "Well, for now you can call him Clark."

Jason frowned, knowing somehow that it didn't seem right. "But he's my daddy, too," the little boy argued.

Clark was stunned to the point of silence. Jason knew who he was and openly acknowledged that he was his father. While his heart was filled with so much happiness, at this point he just had to wonder just how long he had been out of it.

"He knows?"

The look on Lois's face told him everything. "I told him last night."

"That was real?" While unconscious, Clark recalled voices, but they were so distant, it was hard to believe that they were real. Now he knew, and he was glad of it. Clark gently sat up, and when he realized he was devoid of any pain, he slowly stepped out of the bed and approached Lois and Jason.

"Hi, Jason," Clark said, kneeling before him. "I hope I didn't scare you."

"A little," he said softly, reaching out to his father and tracing the outline of his face. "Mommy and I were worried."

Clark smiled. "I'll be careful next time, I promise." He held his hand out and Jason slowly took it. When he pulled him in, Jason wrapped his little arms around Clark's neck and held onto him tightly. Having his son in his arms made him feel like soaring.

"I love you," Jason muttered in his shoulder, further surprising Clark as Lois looked on, feeling another weight lifted from their complicated lives.

"I love you, too," Clark replied, tears building in his eyes and then added, "I love you very much."

**To be continued…**


	18. Chapter 18

**Title**: Unmasked

**Author**: Nadia Mack

**Rating**: K+

**Disclaimer**: I Own Nothing

**Summary**: Post Superman Returns. Behind the hero is a man longing to be free.

**Author's Notes**: Thank you all for keeping up with me. My apologies for the late update, I was too busy over the weekend to update this properly, so I decided to wait until the new week. Thank you Barbara for completing the beta-work for this chapter so quickly!

**Chapter 18**: Rediscovery

Clark held up a day old copy of the Metropolis Star. Bruce's rescue of him the other night at the city fair had been misinterpreted as an action stunt gone wrong. It was also a good thing that there was a concert playing that night; it kept most people distracted, and the ones that did notice, were much too inebriated to notice that it was all quite real.

"Read anything interesting?"

Clark looked up and found Lois smirking at him. Bruce had been kind enough to lend his private plane to fly them back to Metropolis to give him a chance to relax. Jason, who was fond of flying, period, spent part of the flight playing co-pilot to Bruce's actual pilot. Lois, on the other hand, remained unusually quiet throughout the flight – until now.

"Nothing really."

Clark closed the paper and put it aside. Before the silence reigned upon them, he and Lois spent most of the morning talking. Clark was shocked to discover that her knowledge of his alter-ego hadn't happened recently, and that it had been, in fact, several weeks since she had found out about it. Even though he was relieved that everything was finally out in the open, and that he could be someone real in her life, he felt guilty for the way she had to find out. In the end, she assured him it was probably for the best, and that if he had told her himself, she would have likely lashed out at him.

"Are you sure you want to do this right now?"

Clark knew that she was concerned, but if they had any chance of starting anew, it had to be done right. He wouldn't want it any other way.

"Richard deserves to know," he said, inhaling deeply. "He's as much as Jason's father as I am. I don't want to keep making the same mistakes, Lois."

Lois nodded, understanding him completely. She didn't want to lie or hide secrets from her ex-fiancé either, but she couldn't ignore the possible ramifications that telling Richard now would create. Maybe she was being selfish, but she knew for sure she didn't want to hurt Richard anymore than she already had.

Right now, her relationship with Clark was at an awkward standstill. In retrospect, she realized that she hardly knew him as much as she had claimed. This morning, they had decided to take things slow, to rediscover themselves. Start again with a clean slate.

In spite of all the chaos that surrounded their lives, she was thankful for one thing that remained constant.

Their son.

Jason had been the epitome of understanding. He faced the changes in his life head on. They knew Jason didn't completely understand the magnitude of the changes in all their lives. Clark assured their son that Richard would always be in his life, and that he didn't mind at all that he still called Richard 'daddy' because he explained to Jason that he, too, had two fathers and Clark loved them both.

This made Jason's acceptance of the two fathers in his life that much easier, and Lois was grateful for it. Jason could continue to love the father that raised him, and at the same time, he could finally get to know and build a true relationship with the biological father she hoped would _always_ be in his life.

For a moment, everything seemed perfect.

"How do you think he'll take it?" she asked, her voice betraying her unease over what was going to happen soon.

Clark gulped, and then shrugged. "I don't know," he admitted truthfully. "You know him better than I do."

Lois sighed; it was not the answer she wanted to hear.

* * *

Once they finally landed in Metropolis, their first stop was the Daily Planet where Perry gave the two reporters an earful.

"Where the hell _were_ you two?" he yelled at them angrily. He then proceeded to yell at them some more, forestalling the reporters' chance to respond. "We have deadlines to make. People to interview. Criminals to take down." Perry listed them off with a count of each of his fingers until he finally ended with, "And Superman to cover!"

"Chief, we can explain," Lois tried to say.

"Don't call me, Chief!" Perry reminded her for the millionth time even though his star reporter dutifully ignored him every time he did. She wasn't about to stop calling him 'chief' now.

"But, Chief…"

Perry raised his hand, impersonating a traffic coordinator. Lois glanced over at Clark for support, and he said the first thing that came out of his mind. He was going to owe his friend a huge favor for this.

"Mr. White," Clark's voice went up an octave. "Lois and I were working, sir, we just lost track of time."

Perry crossed his arms, his expression stern. "It better be good."

Both reporters gulped. Whenever their editor got like this, there was no telling what he would do and what awful assignments his employees would be given if they didn't deliver on the story.

"We… uh…" Clark turned to Lois, slightly panicked. "Umm…"

"Get on with it, Kent!" Perry bellowed.

Lois cleared her throat, letting Clark take most of the brutal attack from their editor. She gave him a teasing look that gave off the impression that his reputation of being the 'Man of Steel' was on the line if he couldn't get out of Perry's intense glare in one piece.

"We were in Gotham."

Lois raised her eyebrows and wondered just how much Clark was willing to divulge.

Perry looked surprised. "Gotham?"

"Yup," Clark replied meekly. It suddenly occurred to him that Lois was actually enjoying watching him squirm. Learning that she'd had weeks to get used to him being both Superman and Clark Kent didn't help him to get used to her knowing everything at all. So on top of pulling out a non-existent story for their boss, he had to catch up with Lois as far as their relationship was concerned.

"Well…" Perry waited with clear anxiety. "What's in Gotham?"

"Bruce Wayne," Clark blurted out.

Lois looked at him with as much surprise as Perry did. Thankfully, Perry didn't notice. She was about to ask him what he was doing until she saw the glint in their boss' eye at the mention of Gotham City's most talked about wealthy citizen.

"Tell me you two got a story."

"Even better," Clark said, knowing his words were going to kick him in the butt as soon as this meeting was over. "We got an interview."

Perry was on the edge of his seat now while Lois looked at him with a mixture of disbelief and amazement. Knowing his secret was infinitely different than being in on it. Seeing Clark portray the bumbling mild-mannered reporter with such ease as he came up with a not-so-terrible excuse for their sudden absence was turning her on.

Perry was so excited he practically kicked the two of them out of the office.

"I thought Bruce didn't _do_ personal interviews," she said, walking beside Clark as they headed out of their boss' office. Clark tightened the knot in his tie as though it wasn't tight enough.

"Stop that," Lois said, noticing his tie was suddenly askew. She slapped his hand away as Clark threw her a childlike look. "Here, let me fix this." She began to loosen his tie until it was free from its tangles before retying it for him.

Clark swallowed nervously, the closeness between them obvious to both. Fortunately for Lois, she could deal, but for Clark, he was still getting used to how naturally and easily Lois was taking everything, especially his secret identity. She carried the secret with her like a veteran, and he felt his composure faltering, wanting to give in to her right there and then.

As luck would have it, Richard walked into the bull pen and found his ex-fiancée and her on-and-off partner Clark Kent looking closer than he'd ever seen the two together. A pang of jealousy came and went, and despite not being her fiancé anymore, he knew she would always have a very special place in his heart.

Adjusting back to the single life had never been harder for him.

"Daddy!"

Richard turned and saw his boy running up to him, and his heart leaped with joy.

"Hey, squirt!" Richard picked up him and hugged him tight. "I missed you!" he said, holding him still as Clark and Lois approached him. He couldn't deny how different the two looked. Like something had changed that he just couldn't describe. "Hey guys," Richard greeted in spite of everything that had happened.

"Hey," Lois responded, unsure of where to go from here.

"Hi, Richard," Clark said too. Suddenly, the plan to tell him the truth seemed light years away.

"How are you?" Richard asked Lois.

"I'm good," she replied awkwardly. "And you?"

Richard shrugged. "I'll get by." And that was the truth.

The silence was becoming unbearable to Jason so he spoke up. "Daddy, guess what?"

Taking his attention away from Lois, Richard looked at Jason with unwavering love. The same love Lois and Clark felt for him as well.

"What?"

Jason held up two fingers. "I've got two dads!"

Richard's mouth dropped slightly as Lois and Clark stared at Jason with blank expressions, not knowing with complete certainty if what just happened actually happened.

"Jason," Richard began.

"You and Mister Clark!" Jason said with a carefree smile that showed nothing but truth.

Richard, not knowing what to say, simply looked between Lois and Clark. Clark looked shyly away, while Lois' eyes spoke volumes. Richard's mouth fell, and confusion filled him. No one was denying Jason's claims and because of that, another piece of the puzzle fell into place. Any shred of hope he considered possible for the future disappeared.

**To be continued…**


	19. Chapter 19

**Title**: Unmasked

**Author**: Nadia Mack

**Rating**: K

**Disclaimer**: I Own Nothing

**Summary**: Post Superman Returns. Behind the hero is a man longing to be free.

**Author's Notes**: I'll probably have the next chapter up on Friday. Thanks for all the reviews. I love putting these characters to the ringer.

**Chapter 19**: Family

Richard's eyes were closed, his head buried between his knees, hands covering his face in a vain attempt to quell the awful sensation of nausea that threatened to spill forth. The last few minutes felt completely unreal to him, and he felt himself falling apart. No amount of experience could ever prepare him for this.

"Richard," Lois spoke with uncertainty. The sight of her former lover in pain, and knowing she was the cause of it, hurt her more than anyone could ever know. "Richard," she said again, reaching out to him.

"Don't," Richard said swiftly, picking himself up and moving away from her… them. "You lied to me again."

"She didn't know either," Clark said. After telling Richard this truth, he had stepped back and waited patiently for him to process the information. "Nobody did until after I came back."

Richard looked at Lois with restrained anger and deep love. "You didn't know?" She nodded.

Once Jason revealed the truth, there was no turning back for Lois and Clark. In a lot of ways, Jason's spontaneity was a blessing in disguise. Lois had been upset at first, it wasn't the way to break the news to Richard, but Clark knew why their son had jumped at the chance to tell his father. Neither he nor Lois had told him to keep his greatest secret from Richard, and as soon as his mother knew the truth about Clark and Superman, Jason had felt free to tell his dad.

One of these days, when he was old enough, Clark would remind himself to thank him.

"I need a minute," Richard confessed as he sorted through his errant emotions. All this time, it had been Clark Kent. As much as he hated this situation, he felt an odd sense of relief knowing that he hadn't been the only one duped by Clark's bumbling persona. After a minute, "How did you find out?" He immediately changed his mind. "Nevermind, I don't want to know."

"Do you want some water?" Lois offered.

"No," he said, the anger in his voice still prevalent. "I just want to be left alone now."

Clark nodded and Lois reluctantly agreed. She didn't like the idea of Richard dealing with everything alone. He shouldn't have to do it alone. Lois had pictured the truth coming out differently. She wanted him to lash out, show off his anger, and tell her how selfish she was. But the longer she waited, the more she came to realize that it wasn't going to happen.

"I don't feel comfortable leaving him alone," Lois finally voiced as she and Clark left the Daily Planet roof and headed back down to the bullpen. "I'm worried about him, Clark."

"I'll look out for him," Clark assured her sincerely, his super-hearing paying close attention to Richard's movements. He lightly lifted her chin so her eyes could face his. "I won't let anything happen to him, I promise you, Lois."

It was a shame that it had taken her so long to notice his eyes were so blue.

"Thank you."

Clark smiled, happy to do just about anything for her.

* * *

It didn't come as a surprise when Richard called in sick the next day. Worried, Superman flew across town trying to find him, only to discover him in a slightly drunken state in a bar across the street from Planet.

"Leave me alone," Richard said, spotting Clark's image in the mirror that ran from one end of the bar to the other. He lifted his glass of bourbon and downed another large gulp. "Don't you have people to save?"

Ignoring the remark, Clark took a seat next to him. The bartender asked what he wanted and he replied that a Budweiser would do. Richard rolled his eyes while at the same time, surprised that the greatest hero of all time actually drank beer.

"I thought we could talk."

Richard wasn't up for it. "We've talked enough." Then he asked for the bartender to refill his drink.

"Maybe you should slow down with that."

"Don't tell me what to do," Richard said, feeling extremely agitated. "I don't care that you can kick my ass chained and blindfolded, okay? So just leave me the hell alone."

Further irritating Richard, Clark remained in the seat next to him for the duration of his liquor consumption. He didn't speak a word other than the occasional request for another bottle of beer. It was weird, to say the least for Richard. He knew now that Clark was Superman, but seeing him just sit there, patiently waiting for some form of conversation, and not complaining once, it was still hard to wrap his head around.

By the time the eleventh hour hit, Richard had fallen asleep on the counter after drinking so much, and Clark paid the bartender and called for a cab. Driving him back to their Riverside home didn't feel right considering all that had happened, and dropping him off at his uncle Perry's seemed too risky, so he ended up taking him back to his apartment.

As soon as Richard awoke, he was attacked by a vicious migraine. He picked his head up from the sofa and found the figure of Clark carrying a tray of water and a bottle of pills.

"For the headache," Clark said, placing the tray on top of the coffee table.

Richard swallowed hard, his throat feeling very dry. Even without much encouragement, he knew better than to refuse help in his condition.

"Where am I?"

"I brought you back to my place," Clark answered. "I hope you don't mind."

Richard sighed. "What do you want?"

"Just to talk."

"You know, I can't even hate you properly," Richard spat out quite angrily. "I was practically a fan." He got up but quickly regretted it. Grabbing the glass and ibuprofen, he swallowed the medicine in hopes of alleviating the pain in his head. "You have a lot of nerve coming into our lives like this."

"I know."

"God! I want to hate you!"

Clark remained silent, understanding him completely, contrary to what Richard might believe.

"Just so you know," Richard began his defense. "No matter how upset I am, I'd never hurt Jason. I'd never hurt him, I swear. I'll keep this secret of yours… ours… to my grave."

Clark looked back at him thoughtfully and said, "It never crossed my mind." He crossed the room and faced the tall window that overlooked the city; Richard's reflection appeared on the glass. "My biological father once told me that even though I was raised as a human being, I'm not one of them." Clark turned to face him. "He was wrong."

Richard looked confused. "What are you trying to say?"

"I love her, Richard. I love them both," Clark admitted wholeheartedly.

"I love her, too," Richard agreed, his anger dissipating just a little bit.

"I know there are a lot of things to sort out between us, and you may think that I'm trying to replace you in Jason's life, but I'm not. Lois and I want you to still be in his life. To be there for him when I can't."

Richard tried to hold back the sobs that threatened to be released when he heard those words. As much as it hurt him to, he knew what he was about to say would be the best for all of them.

"Now I think you're wrong," Richard said, surprising them both. "I've seen you with Jason, and he adores you. Even though I'd love to be a part of his life, and I promise I'll always be in some way, but I know I can't keep being his father. It hurts too much to share him with you."

"You don't have to decide this now."

"Lois loves you, and I know Jason does too. Just promise me you'll never leave them. Promise me."

Clark sadly looked Richard in the eyes; the image reminded him of himself not too long ago.

"Okay," he answered softly.

Richard nodded solemnly. "I guess that's that then."

* * *

Lois stepped out of the car, taking in the sight of the old house she had unexpectedly fallen in love with. During the two short days she had spent there, her eyes had been opened to a whole new world of possibilities, no pun intended.

On the way back to Smallville, Kansas, halfway to the Kent Farm, she had admitted that she was too nervous to drive, so she reluctantly gave up driving duties to her boyfriend of a month. He was more than happy to oblige.

After telling Richard everything, for the next few weeks they had dealt with some big changes in their lives. These included moving out of their Riverside home, dividing their belongings, giving Richard as much time with Jason as he wanted and finally, Richard deciding to reclaim his job overseas.

The office wasn't surprised by the separation, but they were very interested in the budding relationship between team Lane and Kent, who spent their first month together tentatively dancing around each other's romantic feelings until both were absolutely ready to take the next step. Clark didn't want to appear urgent in his need to express how much he loved Lois and their son, and Lois didn't want to appear insensitive to the relationship she had with Richard.

So again, they took things slow.

Jason continued to be doted on not only by his parents, but by his extended friends and family as well. Bruce would randomly stop by with Helena and the two would play for hours while Alfred watched them. The one person she regretted not having the pleasure of meeting was Martha Kent, Clark's mother. So much had happened; if Clark's mother had visited them any earlier, she didn't think the woman would have had their full attention, and this didn't sit well with her.

That's why she was nervous.

"I can't do this." She turned abruptly on her heel and walked in the opposite direction from the house. Clark reached out, amused, turning her back around. "You'll be fine," he whispered, setting a light kiss on her cheek before holding out his hand for Jason. "You ready to meet grandma?"

"Yeah!" Jason replied, giggling.

"I thought so," Clark winked at him.

"What if she doesn't like me?" Lois asked, panicking. She never cared what other people thought of her, not even Richard's parents had mattered. But then she had to remind herself why exactly she was nervous, _because she's Supermom and I love Clark far more than I ever knew I could_.

"There's nothing about you she couldn't or wouldn't love," he assured her in his calm voice. "And because I love you."

"Right, 'cause that just solves everything," she deadpanned.

Clark laughed and soon spotted his mom opening the screen door on the front porch. Lois' heart stopped at the sight of the kind-looking old lady on the steps. Clark smiled broadly, releasing his family for the moment before running up to his mother, giving her the most loving embrace any child who loved their parents could give.

Lois held her son's hand as she watched the reunion with teary eyes.

Meanwhile, as Martha held her son tightly, over his shoulder, she could see Lois Lane and her grandchild a few feet away. The young woman smiled, and Martha could tell she was nervous. Her son waved, a soft 'hi' escaping his lips as the two remained in place. Martha almost collapsed from sheer happiness to see the little one.

"Hello there," Martha said kindly, waving to Jason. Right then, Jason wiggled his hand free from his mother's grasp and ran up to his grandmother.

"I'm Jason."

Tears began forming in the old woman's eyes. "My name is Martha." She paused before continuing. "I'm your grandmother."

"I know," he grinned boyishly. "Can I hug you?"

Martha laughed and closed the distance between them. She took the small boy into her arms, the feel of him taking her back to a similar experience a long time ago where she held another little boy with the same striking blue eyes. Her heart leaped for joy, she never thought another moment like this could be possible this very moment.

"Oh, how I've been looking forward to this moment," Martha said, her love exposed for the world to see.

"We've been… looking forward to meeting you too," Lois said shyly, stepping forward. "I'm… I'm Lois Lane," she stammered.

"I won't have any of that," Martha said, lightly taking her outstretched hand and pulling the young woman in her arms. "It's finally nice to meet you, Lois. I've heard so much." Lois sank into her arms; the connection she felt towards this woman was overwhelming. Jason wrapped his arms around his mother's waist.

Feeling left out, Clark moved behind Jason and wrapped his own arms around his family. Only one thing could make life more perfect…

After the flood of emotions calmed down, Jason began reacquainting himself with Shelby, Lois went ahead to get cleaned up, and Clark looked at his mother with hope in his eyes.

"There's something I wanted to ask you."

Martha looked at him knowingly. She had a pretty good idea what it was.

**To be continued…**


	20. Chapter 20

**Title**: Unmasked

**Author**: Nadia Mack

**Rating**: T

**Disclaimer**: I Own Nothing

**Summary**: Post Superman Returns. Behind the hero is a man longing to be free.

**Author's Notes**: What can I say? Barbara went on vacation, and so did I. lol I'm sorry for the wait everyone and I hope this chapter leaves you satisfied. Thank you again Barbara for all the help you've provided me throughout this journey. It's been invaluable. And for all the readers who took the time to share their thoughts and comments, you've been a phenomenal group of readers to write for, and hopefully, I get the chance to do so again.

**Chapter 20**: Past, Present and Future

_Four Weeks Ago_

Clark entered his apartment carrying a huge box, and then dropped it carefully to the side where a group of other boxes were stacked. He looked to his couch and found Lois sleeping soundly. He shook his head, smiling at the endearing sight before moving to her side to gently caress her soft cheek.

Lois stirred awake and saw her guy staring at her with a smug look on his face. Her eyes roamed around the room before settling themselves embarrassingly back on him. "Did I fall asleep?"

Clark nodded; his smile was still there. "Shamelessly. I thought you were going to help me?"

"But you were doing so well without me."

Her response made him chuckle. "I would do just about anything to get you to move in with me." Clark glanced back to the various boxes littered about the room. "Speaking of, everything's here now."

She lifted herself up, using her elbows for support. "I can see that."

"Did you sleep well?" He grinned.

"It was amazing!" she sighed dramatically.

Clark laughed and then leaned in to kiss her. It happened so unexpectedly that he pulled back just as quickly as it happened. "I'm sorry," he apologized. "I didn't mean to do that." It was the first time he had kissed her since leaving for Krypton.

Lois raised her eyebrows and Clark realized she might have misinterpreted what he meant.

"Actually, I did," he rephrased, falling into complete and utter embarrassment. "But I don't think I was supposed to." His composure faltered even further. "I'm not explaining myself right, am I?"

Lois mischievously smiled. "No, but I like watching you try." She reached for his collar, the heroic suit he normally wore beneath his clothing not present today. She pulled him down slowly, and he submitted. "Here, let me…"

Their lips touched softly at first, almost chastely. It'd been so many years since they'd truly kissed. It had nearly happened a few months ago, when he came back, but there were so many issues and unanswered questions between them that she didn't allow herself to give in.

She was free now. They both were. The feelings they'd long withheld from one another bursting forth in an explosion of emotions. Slowly, their passion grew, and she felt his body press against her as she pulled him in, her arms making their way to the buttons of his shirt. She burned with yearning for his contact.

"We should…" he breathed with surprising difficulty. "We should, um…" he kissed her deeply and then murmured, "… slow down."

With his lips trailing kisses down her jaw line to the crook of her neck, she answered him with an "okay" but discarded his shirt with one effortless movement, completely ignoring his suggestion. They'd taken their time long enough, and if they waited any longer, they'd die of old age before they even got halfway to the finish line.

* * *

Late that night, with his back against the couch, Clark held Lois on the floor of his living room with a blanket wrapped around them, holding her tight as they watched the fire crackle and pop in fireplace. They had made love several times that night, and for once, he was thankful that the world saw fit to give him a reprieve from his duties.

"What are you thinking?" he asked, softly placing a single kiss on her temple as he cuddled closer to her. He let his lips rest on her shoulder as she answered.

"I was just… thinking back to the last six years."

He kissed her on the shoulder before lifting his head to meet her piercing gaze. He let his fingers lightly comb through her slightly tousled hair. It was the most beautiful sight he'd ever seen.

"A lot of time lost," he said, knowing exactly what was on her mind. "I was a coward, I'm sorry."

She shook her head. "Don't be." Then she kissed him. She wanted to tell him that she loved him, but she found herself not quite ready to say it yet. They'd only recently started dating, and the last thing she wanted to do was build up false expectations.

"You're amazing, you know that?"

"And don't you ever forget it," she said, winking. Anyone could have easily guessed what followed next.

_Present Time_

"And this is the place where my ship landed," Clark described as he took Lois on a sightseeing trip through his past. They parked the car just a few yards back as he recalled the story his parents told him of his arrival on earth. "They found me right around here… I think."

Lois smiled; the image of Clark as a child appeared in the forefront of her mind. It would never cease to amaze her how utterly normal he could be.

"That's a hell of a childhood."

Clark chuckled. "It had its trials," he said wistfully. "But for the most part, it was a happy childhood."

"And now?"

"Now it's even happier."

Feeling slightly embarrassed, she turned and faced the endless fields of corn. "Your mom is great, by the way."

"I knew you'd like her."

Lois didn't say anything afterwards. Instead, she took his hand and let their fingers intertwine. They watched the sunset, the colors mixing together in ethereal beauty and remained like this for another hour before heading back to the farm. Every look she took and every touch she felt was powerful, and she reveled in the love they shared.

As the night sneaked in, Clark turned to her, slightly shaking.

"Clark, are you okay?"

He exhaled. "There's something I want you to have."

She raised her eyebrows. "Does it come with a receipt?" she asked playfully, making him laugh and unknowingly lifting some of the anxiety and nervousness he was feeling.

"Not quite," he returned with equal playfulness. He reached into his pocket and removed something wrapped in a white handkerchief. "I've been carrying this for years," he revealed. "And for a while, I thought, well, I thought I'd lost you forever."

Lois opened her mouth to say something but found her voice devoid of words instead. It didn't take long for her to realize what he was doing, and she was surprised that it had come this soon.

Clark removed the ring from his palm and held it in front of her, the stars as their witness.

"I love you, Lois," he shared, his heart fully open to her. "And I'll love you forever if you'll let me."

He stood there, waiting. The silence between them was the only obstacle. He hadn't meant to propose for at least another couple of months, but he knew in his heart he couldn't wait that long. This was where he belonged. Lois had him. Always had and always would. He'd waited long enough to reveal all of himself to her, and he didn't want to make the same mistake twice.

Lois's eyes glistened beautifully under the night sky. She reached for the ring, not daring to touch it just yet in fear that she was dreaming, and it would suddenly disappear. His previous words echoed in her ears. _I've been carrying this for years. I love you. Forever if you'll let me._

"You sure about that, Smallville?" she said finally finding her voice, its tone laced with teasing. A smile crept up from the corner of his lips as she continued. "You do realize we're talking eternity here?"

Seizing the moment, Clark took her hand and slowly inserted the ring into her finger. The size of it fit her perfectly.

"I could take on the challenge if you are."

She placed her hand on his cheek and let her lips meet his with the tenderest kiss imaginable. A kiss full of hope, dreams and promises. Her arms made their way around his neck as they both deepened the kiss.

"I could… definitely… get used… to this," Lois mumbled in between his kisses.

_The Future_

Jason sprinted out of the house carrying a duffle bag filled with his sports equipment. During the year following the events of the Gertrude, the young boy had slowly but surely overcome most of his fragile nature, proving Bruce's estimation about Jason's health correct. Now 12 years old, he was the picture of good health.

Lois, though, continued to keep an eye on him, not leaving anything to chance alone. While she thanked God that her son was no longer dependent on so many medications, she insisted that maybe it was a good idea for Jason to hold onto his asthma inhaler for the time being.

Clark thought it was a good idea just as long as their son was comfortable with it.

Happy enough that he didn't need to be on a strict regimen of pills and diets, Jason happily obliged his overprotective mother. For the last seven years, he had used his inhaler every now and again as a way to draw people's attention away from the unique abilities he shared with his dad, even though he wasn't using them as openly as his father did.

"Come on, Dad, we're going to be late!" Jason yelled from the backseat of the car. He had a baseball game in an hour, and after that, a piano recital with his best friend Helena in the city, so he was very anxious to get going.

Bruce Wayne or "Uncle Bruce" as Jason had begun to call him by the time he reached his sixth birthday, remained friends with his parents. He had also began a close brotherly friendship with Helena Wayne, whom he spent plenty of time with whenever he visited Gotham City, or whenever she visited Metropolis.

Until Richard White married just two and a half years earlier, he also visited Metropolis for most holidays. Richard and his wife, a woman he had met in Europe specializing in interior design, were expecting their first child in a few months. Jason spoke with him occasionally, and Clark made it clear to Richard that he was always welcome to see Jason whenever he liked.

In the intervening years, Clark and Richard had formed a friendship that would last them for the rest of their lives as they both finally found the happiness each had longed for.

When Clark heard his son calling, he stepped out of the house he shared with his wife of six years. Six months after they married, they found a home twenty five miles outside the city with good acreage and a surrounding forest that kept them company and away from prying eyes. They wanted as much privacy as living near the city could allow, and there was also less chance that Jason would be seen when his powers unexpectedly appeared.

"I swear, he's becoming more and more like you every day," Clark said to his wife, who joined him walking across the driveway to the car where Jason anxiously waited. Jason had a lot of his mother in him: his confidence when challenged, a natural perfectionism in anything he tried to do, and a burning curiosity that would surely put him in a lot of trouble in the years to come.

Lois opened the car door and smiled at her husband mischievously. "What? You mean smart, beautiful and devilishly charming?"

In the car, Clark leaned over the gears and eyed his wife passionately. "It drives me crazy." Lois kissed him fervently with Jason sighing in the backseat.

"Mom. Dad. Please!" Jason pleaded. He was happy that his parents continued to love each other more every day, yet it was mixed with a dose of shyness that they displayed their affection so openly even in public. Where his confidence came from his mom, his humble nature came from his dad.

"Sorry," they both said apologetically, but Jason knew better. They weren't sorry at all.

"We should get going," Lois said. "We don't want to keep everyone waiting." She pulled on her seat belt and fastened it across her chest. She glanced quickly to the back seat and watched her son do the same. After all these years, and no matter how much older he got, she could not stop worrying, even about the son of Superman.

Just as Clark was about to turn on the ignition, he heard a cry for help in the distance. He looked back to his son regretfully.

"I understand, Dad," Jason said, vaguely hearing the call himself.

Clark smiled graciously at his son, unbuckling his seat belt and reaching to the back to hug him. Jason welcomed his father's embrace, knowing the world needed him just as much as he did, and as long as they loved each other, he was willing to share his dad with the world.

"Be sure to hit one out of the park for me." He let go of him and looked at him proudly. "Just don't run too fast." He winked.

Jason laughed and Lois slapped his shoulder playfully.

"I love you, Son."

"I love you too, Dad."

Clark turned to his wife, and she said, "We'll see you around?"

He grinned. "I'm always around." With that, he stepped out of the car and flew into the sky, shedding his casual clothes along the way until the only thing wife and son could see was the sight of red and blue streaking across the sky.

**The End**

**Author's Notes**: I'd like to take this opportunity again to thank all of you for sticking with this story from the start, tense problems and all. You've been a pleasure to write for and this story was a pleasure to write in and of itself.


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